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A  Winter  Scene  in  Broadway,  i860 

an  engraving  by  Girardet,  after  the  painting  by 
H.  Sebron 


The  Greatest  Street 
in  the  World 

The  Story  of  Broadway,  Old  and  New,  from  the 
Bowling  Green  to  Albany 

By 

Stephen  Jenkins 

Member  of  the  Westchester  County  Historical  Society 


160  Illustrations  and  6  Maps 


G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons 
New  York  and  London 
Zhe  Ifmlckerbocfter  press 
1911 


f 

12167 

.87 

75 


Copyright,  igu 

BY 

STEPHEN  JENKINS 


Zbc  ftnlclicrbochcr  prcee,  Hew  fori. 


THIS  BOOK  IS  DEDICATED  TO 

JOHN  W.  DAVIS 

DISTRICT  SUPERINTENDENT  OF  SCHOOLS  OF  THE  CITY  OF 
NEW  YORK,  IN  GRATEFUL  ACKNOWLEDGMENT 
OF  HIS  VALUED  ASSISTANCE  AND 
ENCOURAGEMENT 


INTRODUCTION 


URING  the  past  ten  or  more  years 
I  have  been  delivering  a  lecture  in 
New  York  and  elsewhere,  which  I 
have  called  "Broadway,  Old  and 
New,  from  New  York  to  Albany." 
In  this  volume,  I  have  expanded 
the  lecture  to  book  size. 

Broadway  is  the  longest  of  the 
modern  streets  of  the  world,  though  it  is  surpassed 
in  length  by  two  of  ancient  Roman  construction:  the 
Appian  Way  from  Rome  to  Brundusium,  350  miles,  and 
Watling  Street  in  England,  from  Dover  via  London  to 
Chester  and  York,  thence  in  two  branches  to  Carlisle  and 
the  Wall  near  Newcastle.  These  have,  however,  fallen 
from  their  high  estate ;  and  of  the  latter  road  traces  only 
are  found  in  some  parts  of  its  course  of  over  three  hundred 
miles;  remains  of  the  former  are  sometimes  unearthed, 
though  a  more  modern  road,  built  by  Pope  Pius  VI. 
in  1789  parallels  the  ancient  roadway  from  Rome  to 
Albano,  nineteen  miles  northeast  of  the  Eternal  City. 

From  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century  Broad- 
way has  been  the  main  artery  of  the  city,  and  its  growth 
has  been  an  indication  of  that  of  the  old  city  upon  the 
island  of  Manhattan.  It  has  become  the  Mecca  toward 
which  the  eyes  of  exiled  Manhattanites  are  always  turned, 
and  they  long  for  a  sight  of  "dear  old  Broadway."  It 

V 


vi 


Introduction 


represents  to  them  New  York — it  is  the  epitome  of  the 
life  of  the  great  metropolis,  with  its  various  activities, 
mercantile,  social,  political,  and  theatrical.  The  outsider 
must  also  see  Broadway,  if  he  should  visit  New  York; 
though  it  is  greatly  to  be  feared  that  the  gaiety  of  the 
thoroughfare  is  its  most  potent  attraction  to  him.  If  you 
are  a  New  Yorker,  let  me  ask  you  if  you  have  ever  been 
away  from  the  city  for  a  few  weeks?  When  you  return 
and  your  footsteps  carry  you  along  Broadway,  does  not 
every  face  you  see — whether  man,  woman  or  child — 
have  for  you  so  marked  a  familiarity  that  you  feel  as  if 
you  knew  personally  each  individual,  and  you  have  an 
almost  overmastering  inclination  to  nod  or  to  say  "How 
d'  ye  do?"  to  each  one  you  pass?  In  other  words,  you 
feel  at  home,  or  like  Micawber,  that  "your  foot  is  on  your 
native  heath."  I  sometimes  wonder  if  the  naturalized 
New  Yorker  ever  experiences  the  same  feeling.  I  do  not 
believe  he  does. 

I  think  I  am  right  in  calling  it  "the  greatest  street  in 
the  world."  There  are  famous  streets  in  the  other  great 
cities  of  the  world,  but  none  that  shows  such  wealth  for 
so  great  a  distance.  It  is  said  that  when  the  famous  Field 
Marshal  Bliicher  rode  in  triumphal  procession  through 
the  streets  of  London  after  the  battle  of  Waterloo  he  gazed 
about  him  in  astonishment,  and,  true  to  his  upbringing 
as  a  soldier  of  Frederick  the  Great  and  the  military 
canons  of  the  time,  exclaimed:  "Gott  in  Himmel!  Vot 
a  magnificent  city  to  sack!"  If  we  could  suppose  the 
doughty  old  warrior  transported  to  New  York  and  driven 
over  her  great  thoroughfare,  we  can  readily  believe  that 
words  would  fail  him. 

The  question  is  often  asked  whether  New  York  will 
ever  be  finished.  It  does  not  seem  so,  for  there  is  such 
continual  tearing  down  and  building  up.    This  has  been 


Introduction 


vii 


a  marked  feature  of  Broadway  since  the  days  of  the  Dutch. 
It  is,  perhaps,  a  sign  of  financial  progress  and  wealth — ■ 
the  desire  to  have  something  better  than  there  was  before. 
But  it  has  its  unpleasant  side  if  we  judge  from  the  senti- 
mental  point  of  view ;  for  old  and  historic  landmarks  have 
disappeared.  Of  course,  if  some  of  these  had  been  pre- 
served, it  would  have  been  expensive  toll  to  pay  for  senti- 
ment, and  we  are  a  practical  people  and  inclined  to  say 

with  Sir  Peter  Teazle :  "  D  sentiment."    Then  again, 

our  population  is  so  mixed  with  foreign  elements  that 
historic  associations  have  played  but  little  part  when 
utility  has  required  change  or  demolition. 

In  writing  this  volume,  I  have  tried  to  be  as  accurate 
as  possible,  and  where  there  has  been  doubt  to  give  that 
statement  which  has  the  greatest  authority.  A  biblio- 
graphy will  be  found  at  the  end  of  the  volume;  and 
I  wish  here  to  acknowledge  the  obligations  I  am  under 
to  the  Lenox,  Astor,  Society,  Mechanics,  New  York 
Historical  Society  and  Mount  Vernon  public  libraries, 
and  especially  to  the  private  library  of  District  Super- 
intendent of  Schools,  John  W.  Davis;  also  to  many 
individuals,  both  in  public  positions  and  private  life, 
to  whom  I  have  addressed  inquiries  which  have  always 
been  courteously  answered. 

Stephen  Jenkins. 

Mount  Vernon,  New  York, 
January,  191 1. 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I. — The  Dutch  Heere  Straat  i 

II. — The  Fort  and  the  Bowling  Green     .       .  12 

III.  — Broadway  to  Wall  Street        .       .  .31 

IV.  — From  Wall  Street  to  the  Commons    .        •  •  58 
V. — The  Commons,  or  Fields    ....  84 

VI. — The  City  Hall  Park   109 

VII. — From  the  Park  to  Canal  Street        .        .  132 

VIII. — From  Canal  Street  to  Union  Square        .  171 

IX. — Places  of  Amusement  below  Union  Square  192 

X. — From  Union  Square  to  Forty-Second  Street  220 

XI. — From  Forty-Second  Street  to  Ninety-Sixth 

Street    .......  262 

XII. — From  Ninety-Sixth  Street  to  One  Hundred 

and  Sixty-Eighth  Street        .        .        .  297 

XIII. — From  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-Eighth  Street 

to  Kingsbridge       .....  324 

ix 


x  Contents 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XIV. — The  Borough  of  the  Bronx  and  Lower 

Westchester  County     ....  343 

XV. — Upper  Westchester  County      .        .        .  373 

XVI. — Putnam  and  Dutchess  Counties         .       .  405 

XVII. — Columbia  and  Rensselaer  Counties  .       .  436 

Bibliography  .....               .        .  469 

Index    .   475 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


PAGE 

A  Winter  Scene  in  Broadway,  i86o,  Showing  the 
Broadway  Sleighs    ....  Frontispiece 

From  an  engraving  by  Girardet,  after  the  painting  by  H.  Sebron. 

Map  of  New  York  in  1642,  Drawn  "from  the  Best 

Data  in  his  Possession"  by  D.  T.  Valentine    .  5 

Broad  Street  Canal       ......  7 

Map  of  the  Original  Grants  of  Village  Lots  from 
the  Dutch  West  India  Company  to  the  Inhabi- 
tants of  New  Amsterdam,  1642        ...  10 

Southwest  View  of  the  City  of  New  York    .       .  13 

From  William  Russell's  History  of  America,  vol.  ii.,  London, 
1778,  opposite  p.  270.  Also  a  copy  on  a  smaller  scale  engraved 
by  J.  Carwitham  (between  1737  and  1741).  Carwitham  was 
in  his  prime  about  1740.  Reproduced  in  Valentine's  Manual 
for  1858  by  Hay  ward  of  New  York. 

Firemen  at  Work  in  1800       .        .        .  20 

From  Valentine's  Manual. 

Pulling  down  the  Statue  of  George  III.       .        .  23 

From  an  old  print. 

Government  House       ......  26 

xi 


xii 


Illustrations 


PAGE 

"  Steamship  Row"  and  the  Bowling  Green    .       .  29 

A  Plan  of  the  City  of  New  York  from  a  Survey  by 

James  Lane      .       .       .       ...       .  30 

Prepared  by  William  Bradford. 

Havemeyer  Mansion  in  1861,  between  Fifty-Eighth 
and  Fifty-Ninth  Streets  and  Eighth  and  Ninth 

Avenues  ........  33 

From  Valentine's  Manual  for  1861. 

"The  Duke's  Plan."    A  Description  of  the  Town 

of  New  Amsterdam  in  1664       ....  40 

The  King's  Arms,  Atlantic  Gardens,  in  1765  .        .  46 

From  Valentine's  Manual  for  1856. 

Broadway  and  Bowling  Green  in  1 910   ...  49 
Photo  by  Geo.  P.  Hall  &  Son. 

The  Bunker  Mansion  on  Broadway,  1830      .       .  51 

From  Valentine's  Manual. 

Broadway  and  Cortlandt  Street  .       .       .  -59 

From  Valentine's  Manual  for  1859. 

City  Hotel,  Trinity  and  Grace  Churches,  Broad- 
way, in  1831      .......  65 

From  a  drawing  by  A.  Dick. 

The  Singer  Building      ......  69 

From  a  photograph  by  Geo.  P.  Hall  &  Son. 

St.  Paul's  Chapel  in  1875  73 

,       From  an  etching  by  Eliza  Greatorex 

Tiik  Loew  Bridge  at  Fulton  Street  and  Broadway  79 
View  from  the  Steeple  of  St.  Paul's  Chapel,  1849  81 

From  the  drawing  by  J.  W.  Hill. 


Illustrations 


xiii 


PAGE 

Peter  Stuyvesant's  Army  Entering  New  Amster- 
dam .........  82 

From  the  drawing  by  William  Heath,  London.    (From  Irving's 
Knickerbocker' 's  History  of  New  York.) 

The  Collect  ........  85 

The  Execution  of  a  Negro  on  the  Commons  .       .  87 

Redrawn  from  an  old  print. 

Sketch  Plan  of  the  Commons  in  1743     ...  89 

Based  on  the  drawing  by  David  Grim. 

The  Provost  British  Prison  .....  91 
The  Hall  of  Records     ......  93 

From  the  drawing  by  F.  B.  Nichols. 

The  American  Hotel  at  the  Corner  of  Barclay 
Street,  and  Philip  Hone's  Residence  at  235 
Broadway       .......  99 

A  View  of  City  Hall  Park,  Looking  North,  about 

1830      .       .  .       .       .       .       .  .111 

City  Hall  Park  in  1827  .       .       .       .       .  113 

The  Nathan  Hale  Statue  in  City  Hall  Park        .  120 

City  Hall      ........  123 

The  Rotunda  in  City  Hall  Park — 1852  .        .  -127 

The  North   End   of   City  Hall  Park,  Showing 

Scudder's  Museum,  1825   .....  130 

The  Astor  House  between  Vesey  and  Barclay 

Streets    ........  138 

The  Seventh  Regiment  Marching  down  Broadway  141 

(Thomas  Nast — Original  in  7th  Regt.  Armory.) 

Broadway  Stages   .......  143 


xiv 


Illustrations 


PAGE 

New  York  Hospital,  about  1800.    Broadway  Oppo- 
site Pearl  Street    .       .       .  .  .151 

Washington  Hall  in  1828      .       .       .       .  .153 

From  Valentine's  History  of  Broadway. 

East  Side  of  Broadway,  between  Duane  and  Pearl 

Streets,  in  1807       ......  161 

Masonic  Hall,  on  the  East  Side  of  Broadway,  be- 
tween Duane  and  Pearl  Streets,  1830    .  .163 

Apollo  Rooms  in  1830  .       .  .  .165 

Lispenard 's  Meadows,  Taken  from  the  Site  of  the 

St.  Nicholas  Hotel,  Broadway        .       .  .172 

Drawn  by  A.  Anderson,  1785. 

The  Stone  Bridge  at  Canal  Street       .       .  173 

From  Valentine's  Manual,  1857. 

Grace  Church  at  the  Corner  of  Tenth  Street  anl 

Broadway       .......  180 

St.  Thomas's  Church,  Corner  of  Broadway  and 

Houston  Street,  Erected  in  1823  .       .  182 

Broadway  Tabernacle,  between  Worth  Street  and 

Catherine  Lane,  on  the  East  Side  of  Broadway  184 

Broadway  at  Canal  Street  in  1862        .  .185 

Broadway  and  Grand  Street  .       .       .       .  .186 
Drawn  by  Eliza  Greatorex. 

Broadway  and  Bleecker  Street     .       .       .  .188 
Drawn  by  Eliza  Greatorex 

Contoit's  Garden  in  1830      .....  195 

Redrawn  from  an  old  print. 


Illustrations  xv 

PAGE 

Burning  of  Barnum's  Museum  in  1865    .       .  197 

Niblo's  Garden,  Showing  Tents     ....  202 

The  Metropolitan  Hotel  at  Prince  Street   .       .  203 

Tripler's  Hall,  or  Metropolitan  Hall,  1854         .  206 

Wallack's  (Star)  Theatre,  View  from  Fourth 

Avenue    ........  209 

Redrawn  from  an  old  print. 

Broadway  Theatre,  East  Side  of  Broadway,  be- 
tween Pearl  and  Worth  Streets,  1850    .  .212 

Harrigan  &  Hart's  New  Theatre  Comique     .  -215 

Junction  of  Broadway  and  the  Bowery         .       .  221 

The  Statue  of  Lafayette  in  Union  Square    .       .  224 

The  West  Side  of  Union  Square  in  1897        .        .  225 

Buck's  Horn  Tavern,  Twenty-Second  Street  and 

Broadway,  in  1812    ......  233 

From  Valentine's  Manual,  1864. 

The  Site  of  the  Flatiron  Building        .        .        .  235 

Madison  Square  Park  and  Garden        .        .        .  237 

Franconi's  Hippodrome,  Twenty-Third  Street  and 

Broadway       .......  239 

The  Corner  of  Fifth  Avenue  and  Twenty-Third 

Street, 1852     .......  240 

On  this  site  now  stands  the  Fifth  Avenue  Building. 

Fifth  Avenue  Hotel  at  Twenty-Third  Street       .  241 

From  a  photograph. 


xvi 


Illustrations 


PACK 

The  West  Side  of  Madison  Square  Showing  the 

Worth  Monument    .       .       .       .       .       .  245 

The  Naval  Memorial  Arch  and  Colonnade,  1899, 

Broadway  and  Fifth  Avenue  ....  246 

The  Varian  Tree  in  Broadway  between  Twenty- 
Sixth  and  Twenty-Seventh  Streets,  1864        .  247 

From  Valentine's  Manual,  1864. 

The  Old  Varian  House,  Bloomingdale  Road  .       .  249 
From  Valentine's  Manual,  1856. 

Herald  Square  at  the  Junction  of  Broadway  and 
Sixth  Avenue,  Showing  the  Herald  Building  in 
the  Centre  253 
Photo  by  Geo.P.  Hall  &  Son. 

Night  Scene  on  the  "  Great  White  Way,"  Looking 

toward  the  Times  Building  from  Hotel  Astor  257 
Photo  by  Geo.  P.  Hall  &  Son. 

The  Times  Building  at  Forty-Second  Street  .       .  263 
Photo  by  Geo.  P.  Hall  &  Son. 

Havemeyer  Mansion  in  1861,  between  Fifty-Eighth 
and  Fifty-Ninth  Streets  and  Eighth  and  Ninth 
Avenues  ........  265 

Valentine's  Manual  lor  1861. 

The  Hopper  House  at  Broadway  and  Fiftieth 

Street     ........  267 

From  an  etching  by  Eliza  Greatorex. 

The  New  Broadway  Tabernacle    ....  271 

The  Old  Halfway  House  at  the  Junction  of  Broad- 
way, Eighth  Avenue,  and  Fifty-Ninth  Street  .  273 

From  Valentine's  Manual,  1864. 


Illustrations 


xvii 


PAGE 

The  Columbus  Monument  at  Fifty-Ninth  Street  .  275 
Squatter  Settlement — 1858    .....  277 

Redrawn  by  William  J.  Wilson  from  an  old  lithograph. 

At  the  Junction  of  Broadway  and  Sixty-Sixth 

Street     ........  281 

Photo  by  Geo.  P.  Hall  &  Son. 

The  Somerindyke  Estate  on  Bloomingdale  Road, 

near  Seventy-Fifth  Street      .       .       .  .284 

From  Valentine's  Manual,  1863. 

The  Apthorpe  Mansion,  Bloomingdale  .  .  .  285 
The  Church  at  Bloomingdale       ....  289 

Drawn  by  Eliza  Greatorex. 

Burnham's  Mansion  House,  1835    ....  293 
Redrawn  from  Valentine  print. 

The  Old  Abbey  Hotel  on  Bloomingdale  Road,  1847  296 
From  Valentine's  Manual,  1864. 

Residence  of  the  Post  Family,  now  Claremont 
Hotel,  Bloomingdale  Road,  near  Manhattan- 
ville, i860       .......  299 

From  Valentine's  Manual,  1861. 

Grant's  Tomb,  Riverside  Drive  ....  301 
Columbia  Library  and  Campus       ....  303 

Photo  by  Geo.  P.  Hall  &  Son. 

Tablet  in  Wall  of  Engineering  Building,  Columbia 

University      .......  304 

The  Suspension  Bridge  at  Trinity  Cemetery, 
Broadway  and  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-Fifth 
Street     .       .       .       .       .       .       .       .  311 


xviii 


Illustrations 


PAGE 

The  Audubon  Estate  on  the  Banks  of  the  Hudson, 
Foot  of  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-Sixth  Street 
at  Carmansville  .       .       .       .  -313 

From  Valentine's  Manual,  1865. 

The  Roger  Morris,  or  Jumel,  Mansion  .       .  .318 

Trees  and  Stone  Wall  Marking  the  West  Side  of 
Old  Bloomingdale  Road,  1906.  Looking  South- 
west from  Broadway  at  124TH  Street.  Grant's 
Tomb  in  Distance     ......  320 

The  Crossed  Keys  Tavern     .....  322 

Drawn  by  Eliza  Greatorex. 

Northwest  Corner  of  Broadway  and  One  Hundred 
and  Eighty-First  Street,  Opposite  Holyrood 
Chapel    ........  325 

From  a  photograph. 

Broadway  at  Dyckman  Street,  Inwood,  Showing  the 

Palisades  in  the  Distance      ....  327 

From  a  photograph. 

Farmers'  Bridge    .......  329 

Courtesy  of  the  Department  of  Bridges,  New  York  City. 

Strang  Housk,  Old  Dyckman  Home,  Broadway  and 

Two  Hundred  and  Ninth  Street     .       .       .  330 

The  Blue  Bell  Tavern  ......  333 

Old  King's  Bridge         ......  335 

Courtesy  of  the  Department  of  Bridges,  New  York  City. 

klngsbridge  and  spuyten  duyvil  creek  before  it 

was  Filled  in  338 

Century  House,  near   Spuyten    Duyvil  Creek, 

Harlem  River,  1861         .....  34° 


Illustrations  xix 

FACE 

Old  Kingsbridge  Hotel.    A  Popular  Road-House 

of  Former  Days      ......  342 

The  Godwin,  formerly  the  Macomb  House,  Kings- 
bridge     ........  347 

From  a  photograph. 

Van  Cortlandt  Mansion  in  Van  Cortlandt  Park  .  349 

Van  Cortlandt  Park.    The  Dam  and  Mill     .        .  351 

Van  Cortlandt  Park.    Ruins  of  Old  Mill.  Removed 

in  1903  352 

Monument  on  Indian  Field,  Van  Cortlandt  Park  .  354 

Yonkers,  Getty  Square,  Hollywood  Inn,  and  St. 

John's  Church        ......  356 

Philipse  Manor-House,  Yonkers    ....  358 

From  a  photograph. 

Philip  Van  Brugh  Livingston  House,  Headquarters 

of  Washington,  Dobbs  Ferry  ....  362 

From  a  photograph. 

Washington  Irving        ......  365 

From  the  etching  by  J.  D.  Smillie. 

"  Sunnyside,"  Irvington  .....  367 
Lyndehurst,  Home  of  Miss  Helen  M.  Gould  .  370 
Historical  Sketch  Map  of  King's  Bridge,  1645-1783  372 

Compiled  by  Thomas  Henry  Edsall. 

Monument  to  the  Captors  of  Andre     .       .       .  374 

From  a  photograph  by  F.  Ahrens. 

The  Capture  of  Andre  ......  379 

From  a  print  in  the  possession  of  Dr.  Coutant. 


XX 


Illustrations 


PAGE 

Upper  Mills  of  Frederick  Philipse  (1682),  North 

Tarrytown      .......  380 

Philipse's  Castle,  North  Tarrytown            .       .  382 

Sleepy  Hollow  Church  at  North  Tarrytown        .  383 

Van  Cortlandt  Manor-House,  Croton-on-Hudson  389 

Peekskill  Bay       .              .       .       .              .  391 

Roa  Hook,  State  Camp  ......  393 

Photo  by  H.  H.  Pierce. 

The  Seth  Pomeroy  Monument  at  Cortlandtville  .  396 

St.  Peter's  Church  and  Paulding  Monument  at 

Cortlandtville       ......  398 

Dusenberry's  Tavern,  Cortlandtville,  N.  Y.        .  400 

Annsville  Creek — Where  Broadway  Enters  the 

Highlands       .......  402 

Anthony's  Nose,  from  South,  Looking  from  Iona 

Island     ........  403 

Division  Map  of  the  Highland  Patent  of  Adolphus 

Philipse  ........  406 

The  Beverly  House       ......  408 

Courtesy  of  Putnam  County  Historical  .Society. 

Undercliff,  the  Home  of  the  Poet  Morris           .  413 

From  an  old  print. 

Trinity  Episcopal  Church,  Erected  1769,  atFishkill  414 

The  First  Reformed  Dutch  Church,  Fishkill  416 


Illustrations  xxi 

PAGE 

The  Old  Grist-Mill  at  Brinckerhoff  near  Fishkill, 
over  One  Hundred  and  Thirty  Years  Old. 
Erected  by  Soldiers  during  the  Revolution 
and  still  in  use      .       .       .       .       .  -417 

The  Wharton  House,  Fishkill       ....  419 

The  Teller  House,  Matte awan     ....  420 

The  Verplanck  Mansion  at  Fishkill  Landing       .  421 

Wappingers  Falls         ......  422 

College  Hill,  Poughkeepsie  .....  423 

The  Van  Kleeck  House         .....  424 

Thompson   Memorial  Library,   Vassar  College, 

Poughkeepsie  .......  426 

Main  Building,  Vassar  College     ....  427 

The  Cantilever  Bridge  over  the  Hudson  River  at 

Poughkeepsie  .......  429 

House  Built  by  William  K.  Ludlow,  1786,  now  in 
Possession  of  his  Great-Grandson,  R.  Fulton 

Ludlow,  Claverack,  N.  Y.       .               .        .  443 

Blue  Store    ........  446 

City  of  Nieu  Orange  as  Sketched  in  1673      .       .  447 

Reformed  Church,  Claverack.    Erected  a.d.  1767  448 

Linden wald,  the  Martin  Van  Buren  Mansion       .  449 

The  Van  Buren  Monument,  Kinderhook       .       .  451 

The  Old  Centennial  House,    or  Van  Schaack 

Mansion          .......  453 


xxii  Illustrations 


PAGE 

The  Modern  Flying  Dutchman — "The  Albany  "    .  455 

Stuyvesant  Falls          ......  456 

Toll-Gate,  Hudson,  N.  Y.                     .        .        .  457 

The  Old  Court  House,  Claverack,  N.  Y.       .        .  460 

Fort  Cralo  Mansion,  Rensselaer  ....  462 

Plan  of  Albany,  1695     ......  463 

A  View  of  Albany  from  the  Bridge      .       .       .  464 

The  Governor's  House,  Albany     ....  465 

The  City  Hall,  Albany         .....  467 

Sketch  Map  Showing  Broadway  from  the  Battery 

to  Albany       ......        at  end 

Drawn  by  William  J.  Wilson. 


The  Greatest  Street  in  the  World 


THE  GREATEST 
STREET  IN  THE  WORLD 


CHAPTER  I 

THE  DUTCH  HEERE  STRAAT* 

N  the  fourth  of  October,  1609,  Henry 
Hudson,  having  finished  the  explo- 
ration of  the  river  which  bears  his 
name,  set  sail  for  Europe  and  win- 
tered in  the  port  of  Dartmouth, 
England.  From  this  point,  he  sent 
accounts  of  his  voyage  to  his  em- 
ployers, in  which  he  named  the 
newly  explored  river  the  Mauritius,  in  honor  of  Prince 
Maurice  of  Orange.  Several  merchants  at  once  began  the 
fitting  out  of  a  vessel  to  take  advantage  of  Hudson's 
discoveries.  This  vessel  sailed  in  the  following  year 
(1610),  and  it  is  said  that  it  was  commanded  by  Juet, 
Hudson's  mate  on  the  Half-Moon. 

This  voyage  must  have  been  of  advantage  to  its 

*  Between  the  Bowling  Green  and  Vesey  Street,  Broadway  has  been 
called  at  various  times  in  old  documents  De  Heere  Wagh  Wegh,  the  Broad 
Wagon  Way,  the  Common  Highway,  and  the  Great  Public  Road. 

I 


2 


The  World's  Greatest  Street 


backers,  for  we  find  that  the  United  Netherlands  Com- 
pany was  formed  for  the  purposes  of  trade  with  this  new 
land.  From  this  time  forth,  a  succession  of  voyages  fol- 
lowed under  such  commanders  as  Christiensen,  May, 
Block,  De  Witt,  and  Volckertsen.  While  these  expedi- 
tions ascended  the  river  as  far  as  the  influx  of  the  Mo- 
hawk— the  heart  of  the  fur  trade  with  the  Indians — 
Manhattan  Island  was  made  the  chief  depot  of  the  trade, 
and  Christiensen  was  made  the  agent  of  the  Company 
for  the  traffic  in  furs.  A  small  fort  was  built  on  Castle 
Island  in  the  river  near  Albany,  and  another  on  Man- 
hattan Island  with  a  few  rough,  bark  huts  near  it.  This 
fort  was  a  small  block-house  surrounded  by  a  stockade. 
It  stood  at  the  junction  of  Tuyn,  or  Garden  Street  (Ex- 
change Place)  and  the  present  Broadway — approximately, 
at  39  Broadway. 

In  the  fall  of  1613,  Adrian  Block  lost  one  of  his  vessels, 
the  Tiger,  by  fire;  and  he  and  Christiensen  built  several 
huts  for  the  accommodation  of  their  crews  and  spent  the 
winter  of  1613-14  upon  the  island  of  Manhattan.  The 
site  of  these  huts  is  marked  by  a  tablet  erected  by  the 
Holland  Society  upon  the  front  of  the  building  occupied  by 
the  Hamburg-American  Line  at  41-45  Broadway.  These 
habitations  are  said  to  have  been  the  first  erected  by 
Europeans  upon  the  island  of  Manhattan,  and  the  date 
is  that  usually  given  for  the  first  settlement  of  New  York. 
They  were  probably  the  huts  of  161 2  repaired  for  winter 
use,  being  contiguous  to  the  small  fort,  or  block-house, 
mentioned  above.  The  crews  were  engaged  during  the 
winter  in  building  a  vessel  to  replace  the  one  lost  by  fire. 
The  new  vessel  was  called  the  Onrest,  or  Restless.  In  it 
Block  made  explorations  through  Long  Island  Sound  as 
far  as  the  island  which  bears  his  name,  whence  he  crossed 
to  the  northern  shore  and  explored  Narragansett  Bay. 


The  Dutch  Heere  Straat 


3 


These  earlier  voyages  were  conducted  by  traders,  who, 
having  bartered  with  the  Indians  for  furs  and  pelts, 
returned  each  year  to  Holland;  unless  through  some 
accident,  as  with  Block  and  Christiensen,  they  were 
obliged  to  stay  through  the  winter. 

The  charter  of  the  United  Netherlands  Company 
expired  January  I,  1618;  but  special  licenses  to  trade 
were  granted  by  the  States- General  until  the  formation 
of  the  West  India  Company,  June  3,  1621.  This  com- 
pany was  formed  principally  through  the  efforts  of  Willem 
Usselinx,  a  far-sighted  patriot  and  statesman,  who  had 
been  urging  the  colonization  of  the  newly  explored  lands 
ever  since  Hudson's  report  of  his  voyage  had  reached 
Holland,  with  its  description  of  the  richness  and  produc- 
tiveness of  the  country.  The  formation  of  the  West 
India  Company  had  three  objects  primarily  in  view: 
first,  an  immediate  source  of  revenue  to  the  State  to  aid 
in  supporting  the  war  then  waging  with  Spain;  second, 
to  colonize  the  lands  which  held  out  so  many  prospective 
rewards  to  the  colonizers;  third,  to  establish  a  permanent 
colony  in  America  as  an  offset  to  the  Spanish  colonies, 
and  as  a  base  at  which  the  Dutch  vessels  could  fit  out 
and  from  which  they  could  sail  to  pounce  upon  the  richly 
laden  galleons  of  Spain  on  their  homeward  voyages  from 
Mexico,  South  America,  and  the  West  Indies. 

In  pursuance  of  these  plans,  a  number  of  colonists, 
provided  with  tools,  cattle,  and  other  requisites,  were  sent 
out  in  several  vessels  and  settled  near  the  site  of  Albany 
in  the  first  half  of  May,  1624.  It  was  not  until  the  spring 
of  1626  that  a  permanent,  agricultural  colony  under 
Director  Peter  Minuits  was  established  upon  Manhattan 
Island;  though  it  must  not  be  forgotten  that  the  island 
had  been  occupied  as  a  trading  post  for  several  years 
before  this. 


4  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


In  1841,  Dr.  Brodhead  visited  Holland  on  behalf  of 
the  State  of  New  York  for  the  purpose  of  examining  and 
codifying  the  ancient  records  relating  to  the  Dutch 
occupation  of  New  Netherland.  He  found  that  a  great 
mass  of  the  earliest  documents  and  archives  had  been 
sold  at  auction  as  worthless  lumber  twenty  years  before 
his  visit;  and  these  priceless  papers  have  probably 
disappeared  forever.  From  the  year  1638  onwards,  how- 
ever, there  are  pretty  full  records,  as  the  correspond- 
ence between  the  West  India  Company  and  its  agents 
was  very  voluminous;  and  the  reports  of  the  directors- 
general  and  the  petitions  of  the  inhabitants  of  New 
Netherland  against  the  tyranny  and  exactions  of  the 
company's  representatives  to  their  "Illustrious  High- 
Mightinesses,"  the  States-General,  and  other  matters 
relating  to  the  colony  had  been  preserved.  All  of  these, 
as  well  as  similar  papers  in  the  possession  of  the  State  of 
New  York,  have  been  translated  and  codified  by  Brod- 
head, O'Callaghan,  and  their  successors  in  the  offices  of 
state  archivist  and  state  historian ;  and  the  work  is  still  in 
progress.  The  very  earliest  history  of  Manhattan  is, 
therefore,  largely  traditional  and  conjectural. 

The  Company  built  a  fort  at  the  lower  end  of  the 
island,  and  about  this  clustered  the  houses  of  the  first 
settlers ;  these  were  rude  affairs  of  bark.  Later,  there  was 
expansion  along  the  shore  of  the  East  River  as  the  set- 
tlers began  to  cultivate  their  bouweries,  or  farms.  When 
Director-General  Kieft  massacred  Indians  at  Pavonia 
and  on  Long  Island  and  brought  about  the  Indian  wars 
of  1 641,  and  later,  the  people  were  obliged  to  flee  from 
the  outlying  farms  to  the  protection  of  the  fort  in  order  to 
escape  death  or  bondage  at  the  hands  of  the  redskins. 
As  it  was,  their  cattle  were  killed,  and  their  houses  de- 
stroyed, while  many  of  the  men  were  tomahawked, 


The  Dutch  Heere  Straat 


5 


and  the  women  and  children  carried  into  captivity. 
The  annals  of  these  Indian  wars  teem  with  horrors — 
of  the  two  belligerents,  it  appears  that  the  Dutch  were 
the  more  savage. 


MAP  OF  NEW  YORK  IN  1642,  DRAWN  "  FROM  THE  BEST  DATA  IN  HIS 
POSSESSION"  BY  D.  T.  VALENTINE 


There  was  at  first  no  order  in  which  the  houses  were 
built.  Each  settler  "squatted"  wherever  he  pleased,  his 
one  desire  being  to  get  as  close  to  the  fort  as  possible. 
He  built  his  house  and  cultivated  his  garden ;  and  after  a 
period  of  occupancy,  usually  six  years,  received  from  the 
Company  the  grond  brief,  or  patent,  for  his  land.  The 
first  grant  of  land  was  probably  that  made  in  1636  or  1637 


6 


The  World's  Greatest  Street 


to  Roelof  Jansen  of  a  tract  of  sixty-two  acres  on  the  west 
side  of  Broadway,  extending  from  Warren  Street  to 
Christopher.  It  was  not  until  1642  that  any  grants  were 
made  of  town  lots;  and  it  was  not  until  the  following 
year  that  such  grants  were  made  on  the  Heere  Straat. 
These  were  principally  on  the  east  side,  as  the  west 
side  was  taken  up  with  the  burying -ground  (Morris 
Street),  the  garden,  and  the  orchard  of  the  Company,  the 
Company's  bouwerie,  and  the  country  places  of  Vander- 
grift  and  Van  Dyke.  In  1631,  a  windmill  for  the  use  of 
the  town  was  erected  on  the  Heere  Straat  between  the 
present  Liberty  and  Cortlandt  streets. 

On  account  of  this  "squatting"  of  the  first  settlers, 
there  grew  up  that  irregularity  of  streets  which  distin- 
guishes to-day  the  lower  parts  of  the  city  of  New  York. 
Streets  were  unknown  in  those  early  days;  but  about  the 
time  of  the  first  grants  two  streets  leading  from  the  fort 
seem  to  have  formed  themselves  by  common  consent; 
one,  the  Heere  Straat,  which  followed  a  ridge  of  land 
northward  through  the  Company's  farms  and  fields,  the 
other,  a  street  leading  along  the  shore  of  the  East  River, 
which  became  the  Great  Queen  Street  of  the  English  and 
the  Pearl  Street  of  the  present.  It  was  along  this  latter 
street  that  the  settlement  grew  away  from  the  fort,  hav- 
ing its  greatest  density  of  houses  and  population  in  Blom- 
maert's  Vly,  through  which  flowed  a  sluggish  stream 
that  drained  the  swamp  near  the  Heere  Straat.  As 
early  as  1638,  it  appears  that  measures  were  taken  to 
drain  this  marsh,  but  it  was  not  until  1643  that  an  arti- 
ficial ditch  was  constructed  to  carry  off  the  swamp  water. 
At  first,  a  roadway  twenty-five  or  thirty  feet  wide  was 
left  on  the  west  side  only;  but  in  1657-59,  arrangements 
were  made  with  the  landholders  on  the  eastern  side,  and  a 
similar  width  of  roadway  was  secured  on  that  side  also. 


8  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


At  the  same  time,  the  ditch  was  deepened  and  widened 
and  its  sides  sheathed  with  planks,  so  that  it  became  a 
canal  through  which  the  tide  ebbed  and  flowed  almost  to 
Beaver  Street.  Here  were  conditions  and  surroundings 
with  which  the  Dutchman  was  familiar ;  he  was  reminded 
of  home,  and  this  section  became  the  most  desirable  and 
thickly  settled  on  the  island.  The  street  was  called 
De  Heere  Graft;  in  English  days  and  our  own,  Broad 
Street.  By  1676  the  ditch  had  become  so  unsanitary 
that  Governor  Andros  ordered  that  the  street  be  filled 
up,  and  the  ditch  became  a  covered  sewer  as  far  south 
as  the  bridge  (Bridge  Street). 

From  the  very  beginning  of  the  Dutch  occupation, 
differences  arose  between  them  and  the  English  as  to  the 
ownership  of  the  land.  It  is  stated  that  as  early  as  1614, 
Captain  Argall,  while  returning  from  his  eastern  ex- 
plorations, stopped  at  Manhattan  Island,  and  made  the 
traders  whom  he  found  there  acknowledge  the  supremacy 
of  Virginia  and  pay  quit-rent  for  the  privilege  of  trading 
in  the  valley  of  the  Hudson;  and  Captain  Thomas  Der- 
mer,  the  first  Englishman  to  sail  through  Long  Island 
Sound  is  known  to  have  stopped  at  the  Manhadoes  in 
1 61 9.  There  were  constant  disputes  with  Connecticut 
over  the  boundary  line  between  the  two  colonies — a 
dispute  that  was  handed  down  to  our  own  time,  for  it 
was  not  until  1879  that  the  two  States  interested  finally 
came  to  an  agreement  which  was  ratified  by  the  Congress 
of  1880-81. 

In  1654,  some  English  from  Connecticut,  probably  in 
furtherance  of  that  colony's  claim  to  all  the  land  as  far 
as  the  ocean,  settled  on  Westchester  Creek,  in  what  is 
now  the  Borough  of  the  Bronx.  Director  Stuyvesant, 
and  his  council,  fearing  further  encroachments  by  the 
English  upon  the  land  of  New  Netherland,  and  even  upon 


The  Dutch  Heere  Straat  9 


New  Amsterdam  itself,  sent  an  expedition  to  arrest  the 
audacious  intruders,  and  also  during  the  same  year, 
caused  a  palisade  to  be  built  from  the  East  River  to 
the  Hudson.  This  palisade,  or  wall,  was  regularly 
patrolled  by  the  soldiers  of  the  Company,  and  several 
falcons  were  distributed  along  its  length.  Two  gates 
gave  egress  and  ingress;  one  being  located  at  the  upper 
end  of  the  Heere  Straat,  called  De  Landt  Poorte,  or  land 
gate;  the  other,  the  more  important  of  the  two,  called  the 
water  gate,  at  the  shore  of  the  East  River.  The  land 
gate  was  opposite  where  Trinity  Church  now  stands  and 
gave  access  to  the  Vlacte,  or  pasture;  the  water  gate 
gave  access  to  the  ferry  to  Brooklyn,  to  Allerton's  ware- 
house, and  to  the  other  houses  along  the  river  road.  In 
the  morning  men  went  through  the  streets  blowing  horns, 
and  the  cattle  of  the  different  inhabitants  were  put  in 
their  charge  to  be  driven  through  the  two  gates  to  the 
common  for  pasture ;  at  night  the  cattle  were  driven  back 
again  through  the  gates,  but  distributed  themselves  to 
their  own  quarters. 

This  palisade,  or  wall,  gave  its  name  to  the  street 
which  was  afterwards  laid  out  along  its  length  and  which 
has  become  the  financial  centre  of  New  York — Wall 
Street.  The  wall  was,  therefore,  the  upper  limit  of  the 
town  of  New  Amsterdam.  If  we  measure  the  extent 
of  the  town  from  north  to  south  by  the  scale  on  the 
"  Duke's  Plan  "  of  1664,  we  shall  find  that  it  did  not  exceed 
five  hundred  and  fifty  yards  from  the  southern  extremity 
to  the  wall.  The  palisade  was  allowed  to  decay,  but  was 
repaired  from  time  to  time  as  the  danger  of  invasion  arose 
during  both  Dutch  and  English  days.  In  1692,  during 
the  alarm  of  King  William's  War  with  the  French,  fears 
were  entertained  of  an  invasion  from  Canada,  and  two 
stone  bastions  were  erected,  one  of  which,  called  "Zea- 


io  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


landia,"  stood  at  the  land  gate.  The  wall  was  finally 
demolished  in  1699.  When  the  workmen  were  digging 
up  Broadway  in  1799  to  lay  the  water  pipes  of  the  Man- 
hattan Company,  they  came  upon  the  foundations  and 
posts  of  the  old  city  gate  at  Wall  Street. 

In  1652,  upon  petition  of  the  inhabitants,  the  Com- 
pany granted  them  a  burgher  government; — this  con- 
stituted the  first  incorporation  of  the  city.  In  1656,  the 
first  map  of  the  city  was  drawn,  showing  seventeen  streets, 
"to  remain  from  this  time  forward,  without  alteration." 
In  1657,  the  average  price  of  the  best  city  lots  was  fifty 
dollars,  and  these  were  not  on  the  Heere  Straat.  The 
rent  of  an  average  good  house  was  fourteen  dollars  a 
year.  In  1658,  contracts  were  awarded  to  some  of  the 
city  shoemakers  to  make  leather  fire-buckets;  and  a  few 
months  later,  these  buckets  were  distributed  to  several 
houses  in  the  town,  eleven  being  assigned  to  Heer  Paulus 
Leendersen  Vandergrift,  whose  house  was  on  the  Heere 
Straat  nearly  opposite  Exchange  Place. 

In  1664,  at  the  time  of  the  surrender  of  the  province 
to  the  English  under  Colonel  Nicolls,  in  addition  to  the 
tracts  of  land  on  the  west  side  of  the  street  already  men- 
tioned, were  the  farms  of  Nicholas  William  Stuyvesant 
and  Balthasar  Stuyvesant,  sons  of  the  governor.  Out- 
side the  city  gate,  the  Heere  Straat  did  not  extend  as  far  as 
Fulton  Street.  This  section  had  been  granted  in  1644 
to  Jan  Jansen  Damen,  whose  property  extended,  with 
some  slight  variations,  from  river  to  river,  and  was  now 
rented  by  his  heirs  to  five  tenants. 

On  the  east  side  of  the  street,  was  a  grant  taken  in  1 643 
by  Govert  Loockermans  and  Isaac  Allerton,  an  English- 
man who  had  come  over  in  the  Mayflower  to  Plymouth. 
The  property  extended  one  hundred  feet  above  Beaver 
Street  on  the  Heere  Straat,  and  two  hundred  and  fifty 


•>. ..       \  j 

ORIGINAL  GR^ 

(«>  the   inhabitant  s  of 

mow  NEW -YORK.) 
tying  below  the  present  line  of  flail  Sire 'I 


A.D.  I(>'ii.  J  ' 


JW  'Hirer 


The  Dutch  Heere  Straat 


ii 


feet  back  to  the  swamp  on  Broad  Street.  Above  this, 
was  another  farm  of  Jan  Jansen  Damen,  which  had  been 
used  formerly  by  the  negro  slaves  of  the  Company  to 
cultivate  for  their  own  use.  Damen  cultivated  part  of 
it,  and  used  part  of  it  for  a  sheep  pasture.  The  next 
property  was  that  belonging  to  Secretary  Cornelis  Van 
Tienhoven,  which  he  had  acquired  in  1644.  The  few 
houses  on  the  east  side  of  the  road  were  of  a  mean  char- 
acter, little  better  than  hovels,  with  one  room  and  a  fire- 
place, being  occupied  by  mechanics  and  laborers.  This 
was  due  to  the  fact  that  the  Heere  Straat  was  remote 
from  the  business  parts  of  the  town. 


CHAPTER  II 


THE   FORT   AND   THE   BOWLING  GREEN 

Tmmmm1^^^^  HE  fort  at  Garden  Street  (1612) 
I  I  !      was  a  block -house  surrounded  by 

-vT^  palisades,  or,  in  the  language  of 

C&^HH^^y^^  the  times,  "stockadoes."  The  fort 
^^^P^4^5  erected  by  the  West  India  Com- 
^^^Jr^T^^r  pany  under  Kieft  at  the  lower  end 
of  the  island  was  of  similar  descrip- 
tion; but  it  was  the  first  building 
intended  to  be  permanent.  It  was  called  Fort  Am- 
sterdam, and  the  settlement  which  grew  up  about  it, 
New  Amsterdam.  In  1633,  a  more  pretentious  fortifi- 
cation was  begun  by  Van  Twiller.  This  was  planned  to 
be  three  hundred  feet  long  and  two  hundred  and  fifty 
feet  wide,  with  four  corner  bastions  built  of  stone,  the 
ramparts  between  being  of  earth.  It  was  finished  in 
1635  at  an  expense  of  $1688,  and  contained  the  governor's 
house,  barracks  for  the  garrison,  secretary's  office,  etc. 
The  stone  church,  seventy-two  feet  long,  fifty-two  feet 
wide,  and  sixteen  feet  over  the  ground,  was  begun  by 
Kieft  in  1641  and  finished  the  following  year.  The  roof 
was  of  split  shingles;  and  upon  the  front  was  placed  a 
tablet  stating  in  Dutch:  "Anno  Domini,  1642,  Wil- 
helm  Kieft,  Director-General,  hath  the  Commonalty 
caused  to  build  this  Temple."    The  cost  of  the  church, 


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13 


14  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


one  thousand  dollars,  was  raised  by  subscription,  advan- 
tage being  taken  of  a  wedding  party  to  get  the  merry 
guests  to  subscribe  sums  at  which  in  the  "cold,  gray  light 
of  the  morning  after,"  they  opened  their  eyes.  The 
church  was  named  Saint  Nicholas  in  honor  of  the  patron 
saint  of  Holland;  but  later  it  was  also  known  as  "The 
Dutch  Church  within  the  Fort."  The  contractors  were 
John  and  Richard  Ogden  of  Stamford,  in  Connecticut. 

During  colonial  and  provincial  times,  the  fort  was  the 
centre  of  political  action,  and,  to  a  great  extent,  owing  to 
its  being  the  official  residence  of  the  governor,  of  the  social 
life  as  well.  Its  site  was  on  the  plot  of  ground  bounded 
by  Whitehall,  Bridge,  and  State  streets,  and  the  Bowling 
Green.  The  last  named  was  on  a  hill  outside  the  fort — 
it  is  there  that  Broadway  begins.  Whitehall  Street  was 
so  called  because  it  led  down  to  a  white  building  erected 
by  Governor  Stuyvesant,  afterwards  used  by  the  Eng- 
lish Governor  Dongan,  and  later  as  a  custom-house. 
J.  H.  Innes*  suggests  that  it  may  have  been  so  called  by 
the  English  in  derision,  as  the  building  was  not  an  im- 
posing one  and  may  have  recalled  to  them  the  dilapidated 
appearance  of  their  own  Whitehall  Palace  in  London. 
Bridge  Street  led  to  the  "long  bridge"  across  the  canal 
in  Broad  Street.  State  Street,  afterwards  the  locality 
of  some  of  the  finest  mansions  in  the  city,  was  named 
in  honor  of  the  State. 

The  Bowling  Green  was  the  open  space  north  of  the 
fort,  originally  called  '/  Marckveldt  (the  Marketfield)  or 
"The  Plaine."  A  lane  led  to  it  from  Broad  Street, 
called  't  Marckveldt  steegie,  popularly  known  in  English 
days  as  Petticoat  Lane.  A  portion  of  the  ancient  lane 
is  still  hidden  away  between  the  Produce  Exchange  and 
the  American  Bank  Note  Company's  building  at  Broad 

*  New  A  msterdam  and  its  People. 


The  Fort  and  the  Bowling  Green 


15 


and  Beaver  streets.  Beaver  Street  also  led  into  the 
Marketfleld;  and  on  the  west,  leading  to  the  Hudson, 
and  the  landing-place  of  the  Jersey  farmers,  was  the 
Beaver  path,  an  extension  of  Beaver  Street,  but  closed  as 
a  highway  and  granted  to  private  parties  before  1650. 

In  1641,  Director  Kieft  ordered  that  an  annual  fair 
for  the  sale  of  hogs  should  be  held  in  the  Marketfield  on 
the  first  of  November.  In  1658,  a  meat  market,  the  first 
in  the  city,  was  established  in  the  same  place,  and  a  shed 
was  erected  for  the  purpose.  In  the  following  year 
(1659)  a  great,  annual,  cattle  fair  was  established  in  front 
of  the  fort  between  October  twentieth  and  the  last  week 
in  November,  during  which  time  no  one  could  be  ar- 
rested for  debt.  This,  no  doubt,  added  materially  to  its 
popularity,  for  it  lasted  for  thirty  years.  The  cattle  to  be 
sold  were  ranged  along  the  west  side  of  Broadway  and 
fastened  to  stakes  driven  for  the  purpose  in  front  of  the 
burying-ground  (Morris  Street). 

The  open  place  served  not  only  as  a  market,  but  also 
as  a  parade  for  the  soldiers,  for  a  common  out-door  meet- 
ing-place of  the  inhabitants,  and  for  bonfires,  Maypole 
dances,  and  similar  celebrations.  The  old  parade  also 
saw  the  departure  and  return  of  many  a  warlike  expedi- 
tion. In  1 69 1  a  shambles  was  established  on  the  Market- 
field,  where  meat  only  was  to  be  sold. 

The  first  Indian  war  of  Kieft's  administration  was 
ended  here  on  August  30,  1645,  when  the  chiefs  and 
sachems  of  the  hostile  tribes  assembled  on  "The  Plaine," 
smoked  the  peace  pipe,  and  buried  the  tomahawk  in 
sign  of  amity,  at  the  same  time  marking  their  totems  in 
sign  of  acquiescence  upon  the  treaty  which  the  Dutch  had 
prepared  for  them.  In  1655,  Stuyvesant  marshalled  his 
army  in  front  of  the  fort  before  starting  on  his  successful 
expedition  against  the  Fort  Christina  of  the  usurping 


1 6  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Swedes  upon  the  Delaware;  and  "The  Plaine"  also  be- 
held the  triumphant  return  of  his  (according  to  Diedrich 
Knickerbocker)  motley  army.  For  the  last  time  Stuy- 
vesant  marched  his  little  army  out  of  the  fort  with  the 
honors  of  war,  August  26,  1664,  while  the  tri-colored  flag 
of  Holland  fluttered  to  the  ground  and  the  standard  of 
Great  Britain  rose  in  its  place. 

Under  Colonel  Nicolls,  New  Amsterdam  became 
New  York,  and  the  fort  became  Fort  James  in  honor  of 
the  lord-proprietor,  James,  Duke  of  York  and  Albany 
(afterwards  King  James  II.).  For  nine  years,  the  Eng- 
lish remained  undisturbed;  then,  England  and  Holland 
being  at  war,  a  Dutch  fleet  of  five  vessels  under  com- 
mand of  Admirals  Benckes  and  Evertsen  appeared  off 
New  York,  and  the  province  became  once  more  Dutch, 
with  Captain  Colve,  commanding  one  of  the  vessels, 
as  governor.  The  city  was  called  New  Orange,  and 
the  fort,  Fort  William  Hendrick,  August,  1673.  In 
November,  1674,  the  Dutch,  by  the  treaty  of  West- 
minster, ceded  the  colony  to  the  English,  and  the  fort 
and  city  became  again  English,  to  remain  so  until  the 
Revolution. 

As  stated  above,  the  fort  was  the  centre  of  the  politi- 
cal and  social  life  of  the  city.  Here  the  governors  re- 
sided, here  the  taxes  and  quit-rents  for  land  grants  were 
payable,  and  here  was  quartered  the  garrison,  consisting 
usually  of  a  regiment  of  foot  and  a  company  of  artillery. 
It  is  not  necessary  to  give  a  list  of  these  governors,  most 
of  them  bad,  some  indifferent  and  a  few,  good.  Probably 
the  worst  from  a  moral  point  of  view  was  my  Lord  Corn- 
bury,  a  dissolute  profligate,  who  amused  himself  and 
shocked  the  worthy  citizens  by  parading  about  the  fort 
dressed  in  women's  clothes — his  only  title  to  considera- 
tion being  that  he  was  a  cousin  of  Queen  Anne  and  that 


The  Fort  and  the  Bowling  Green  17 


he  needed  all  the  money  that  he  could  force  or  beguile 
from  the  inhabitants. 

When,  in  August,  1689,  the  news  of  the  abdication  of 
James  II.  reached  the  city,  the  great  mass  of  the  citizens 
determined  to  get  rid  of  the  obnoxious  Governor  Nichol- 
son and  declared  for  William  and  Mary;  but  there  was 
far  from  being  unanimity  of  opinion.  A  committee  of 
safety  was  formed,  and  Jacob  Leisler,  one  of  the  wealthiest 
merchants  of  the  city  and  a  captain  of  the  militia,  was 
declared  commander-in-chief  until  such  time  as  instruc- 
tions could  be  received  from  England.  The  five  train- 
bands of  the  city  and  one  from  Eastchester  paraded  in 
front  of  the  fort  and  refused  to  obey  the  orders  of  their 
colonel,  Nicholas  Bayard,  but  declared  instead  for  Leisler, 
who  then  took  possession  of  the  fort  and  became  the 
actual  governor.  When  on  March  19,  1691,  Governor 
Sloughter  arrived  under  appointment  of  William  and 
Mary,  the  fort  was,  after  some  delay,  surrendered,  and 
Leisler  was  arrested  and  accused  of  high  treason.  A  court 
of  eight  judges  was  appointed  by  Sloughter,  and  Leisler 
and  his  son-in-law,  Jacob  Milborne,  were  convicted  of 
treason  and  sentenced  to  death. 

Sloughter,  who  appears  to  have  been  a  well-meaning 
man  when  not  under  the  influence  of  drink,  would  not 
sign  the  death  warrant,  probably  believing  that,  while 
Leisler  might  be  technically  guilty,  he  had,  in  fact,  saved 
the  colony  from  anarchy  and  been  loyal  to  the  king,  under 
whose  orders  he  claimed,  and  rightly,  always  to  have 
acted.  There  was  also  fear  on  the  governor's  part  that 
he  might  incur  the  displeasure  of  the  king  by  summarily 
executing  the  man  who  had  been  the  first  to  raise  the 
standard  of  William  and  Mary  in  New  York.  However, 
Leisler's  enemies  were  determined  upon  his  death  and 
took  advantage  of  the  governor's  weakness  to  accomplish 
2 


1 8  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


their  purpose.  They  invited  Sloughter  to  a  banquet,  got 
him  drunk,  and,  while  he  was  in  that  condition,  induced 
him  to  sign  the  death  warrant.  Before  he  became  sober, 
Leisler  and  Milborne  had  been  executed.  On  July  23, 
1 69 1,  two  months  afterwards,  Sloughter  died  suddenly 
while  in  a  drunken  state.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  remorse 
helped  him  on  to  his  untimely  end.  Four  years  later, 
Parliament  reversed  the  attainder,  the  confiscated  prop- 
erty of  the  two  victims  was  restored  to  their  heirs,  and 
the  bodies  of  Leisler  and  Milborne  were  disinterred  and 
buried  with  high  honors  in  the  Dutch  church  in  Garden 
Street.  For  a  quarter  of  a  century  afterwards,  the 
politics  of  the  city  were  swayed  by  the  Leislerians  and 
the  anti-Leislerians. 

In  1 691,  Abraham  De  Peyster,  captain  of  one  of  the 
train-bands  and  a  friend  of  Leisler,  became  mayor  of  the 
city,  which  office  he  held  for  three  years.  His  statue  is  in 
the  Bowling  Green,  facing  the  custom-house. 

South  of  the  fort  was  a  point  of  land,  anciently  called 
Schreyers'  Hoek,  or  Weepers'  Point,  after  a  similar  point 
in  old  Amsterdam,  where  people  saw  the  last  of  departing 
vessels,  carrying  away  those  who  were  near  and  dear  to 
them.  A  number  of  rocks,  called  Capske,  projected  their 
heads  above  the  water.  In  1693,  during  the  progress  of 
a  war  between  France  and  England,  the  governor,  fear- 
ing an  attack  by  the  French  fleet,  caused  the  edge  of  the 
point  to  be  filled  in  and  erected  a  platform  upon  which 
was  placed  a  number  of  guns  to  command  both  rivers. 
The  works  extended  from  the  present  Whitehall  Street 
westward  about  three  hundred  feet  and  were  commonly 
known  as  the  Whitehall  Battery.  This  was  the  begin- 
ning of  the  present  Battery;  but  much  more  land  was 
subsequently  filled  in,  making  here  one  of  the  most  de- 
lightful spots  in  the  city.    When  fashion  ruled  in  this 


The  Fort  and  the  Bowling  Green  19 


neighborhood,  the  Battery  park  was  the  favorite  resort  of 
the  citizens.  No  disfiguring  railroad  structure  then  in- 
tercepted the  view,  nor  was  conversation  interrupted  by 
the  thunder  of  passing  trains.  Even  now,  one  can  travel 
to  many  places  before  he  will  see  a  view  equal  to  that  he 
gets  from  the  Battery  of  the  beautiful  harbor  of  New 
York,  with  Bartholdi's  grand  statue  of  Liberty,  and  the 
constantly  passing  vessels  lending  animation  to  the 
scene. 

In  1732,  the  city  council: 

"Resolved,  that  this  corporation  will  lease  a  piece  of  land  ly- 
ing at  the  lower  end  of  Broadway,  fronting  the  fort,  to  some  of 
the  inhabitants  of  the  said  Broadway,  in  order  to  be  enclosed 
to  make  a  Bowling-Green  thereof,  with  walks  therein,  for  the 
beauty  and  ornament  of  said  street,  as  well  as  for  the  recreation 
and  delight  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  city,  leaving  the  street  on 
each  side  thereof  fifty  feet  in  breadth." 

By  this  act,  the  first,  and  oldest,  public  park  in  New 
York  city  came  into  being.  The  section  adjacent  to  the 
Marketfield  had  become  the  wealthy  and  fashionable 
quarter  of  the  city,  and  the  residents  did  not  like  the 
open  market  in  front  of  the  fort  and  so  near  to  their  own 
habitations.  The  lessees  under  the  act  were  John  Cham- 
bers, Peter  Bayard,  and  Peter  Jay;  the  rent  was  one  pep- 
percorn a  year,  and  the  lease  was  for  eleven  years.  There 
was  no  golf  in  those  days  and  the  sport  of  bowling  was 
popular;  for  at  the  expiration  of  the  first  lease,  it  was 
renewed  for  eleven  years  more  at  a  rental  of  twenty 
shillings  a  year  to  John  Chambers,  Colonel  Frederick 
Philipse,  and  John  Roosevelt. 

In  the  year  1746,  a  party  of  Oneidas  and  Mohawks 
with  their  squaws  and  papooses,  amounting  in  all  to 
several  hundred,  came  in  canoes  down  the  Hudson  River 


2o  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


to  hold  a  conference  with  the  British  Governor  Clinton. 
They  encamped  upon  the  shore  of  the  river  where  the 
N.  Y.  C.  &  H.  R.  R.  R.  freight  house  is  now  located  in 
the  former  St.  John's  Park,  and  marched  down  Broad- 
way to  Fort  George  in  single  file  carrying  long  poles 
ornamented  with  French  scalps.  The  conference  was 
held  in  the  fort;  and  the  whole  proceeding  was  of  great 


FIREMEN  AT   WORK  IN  iSoO 

(From  Valentine's  Manual) 


interest  to  the  inhabitants,  as  subsequently  all  such  con- 
ferences were  held  in  Albany. 

The  German,  Professor  Kalm,  in  a  visit  to  the  city  in 
1748  describes  the  fort  as  "a  square  with  four  bastions," 
situated  upon  the  southwest  point  of  the  city  and  con- 
taining the  governor's  residence,  three  stories  in  height. 
This  house,  which  was  called  the  Province  House,  was 
destroyed  by  fire  during  Governor  Tryon's  time,  De- 
cember 17,  1773,  with  the  loss  of  one  life,  that  of  his 
daughter's  maid.  Kalm  states  also  that  the  chapel  with- 
in the  fort  was  destroyed  by  fire  during  the  negro  plot  of 


The  Fort  and  the  Bowling  Green  21 


1741;  and  further,  "According  to  Governor  Burnet's 
observation,  this  fort  stands  in  the  latitude  of  42  0  12' 
north." 

On  the  first  of  January,  1672,  Governor  Lovelace 
started  a  post-rider  from  the  fort  to  carry  the  mails  to 
Boston;  but  only  a  few  trips  were  made.  The  Boston 
post  was  successfully  established  a  few  years  later.  In 
1753  there  appeared  the  following  in  the  New  York 
Gazette:  "The  Post-Office,  at  the  Bowling  Green, 
Broadway,  will  be  open  every  day,  save  Saturday  after- 
noons and  Sundays,  from  8  to  12  a.m.,  and  from  2  to  4 
p.m.,  except  on  post  nights,  when  attendance  will  be 
given  until  ten  at  night,  by  A.  Colden,  deputy  post- 
master. N.  B.  No  credit  in  future."  From  this  it 
would  appear  that  the  Saturday  half-holiday  was  one 
of  the  early  institutions  of  the  city.  In  1772  it  was 
enacted  by  the  provincial  assembly  that:  "The  mail  be 
sent  weekly  from  New  York  to  Albany,  up  one  side  of 
the  River  and  down  the  other,  for  which  an  extra  one 
hundred  pounds  be  allowed."  The  mail  was  carried  on 
horseback,  and  the  post-rider  would  sometimes  carry  a 
woman  passenger  on  a  pillion  behind  him. 

In  1765,  the  British  Parliament  enacted  the  Stamp 
Act.  A  meeting  of  the  merchants  of  the  city  was  called 
at  Burns's  Coffee  House  on  Broadway,  and  the  first  non- 
importation agreement  was  signed,  October  31,  1765. 
On  the  evening  of  the  next  day,  two  companies  of  the 
Sons  of  Liberty  appeared  on  the  streets.  One  company 
marched  to  the  Commons  where  they  hanged  in  effigy 
Lieutenant-Governor  Cadwalader  Colden ;  the  other  com- 
pany broke  into  Colden's  stable  and  took  out  his  chariot, 
in  which  they  placed  a  copy  of  the  obnoxious  act  and  an 
effigy  of  the  lieutenant-governor.  Both  companies  then 
united  and  marched  in  silence  to  the  Bowling  Green, 


22  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


where  they  found  the  soldiers  drawn  up  on  the  ramparts 
of  the  fort  ready  to  receive  them.  General  Gage,  the 
British  commander,  thought  it  prudent  not  to  fire  upon 
the  rioters;  and,  as  they  were  refused  admission  to  the 
fort,  they  turned  their  attention  to  the  wooden  railing 
which  surrounded  the  little  park.  This  they  tore  down 
for  fuel;  and,  having  burnt  railing,  carriage,  act,  and 
effigy,  they  dispersed  to  their  homes. 

The  Stamp  Act  stirred  up  a  hornet's  nest  from  Georgia 
to  Massachusetts;  and  in  order  to  allay  the  excitement, 
Parliament,  on  February  20,  1766,  repealed  the  hateful 
act.  When  the  news  of  the  repeal  reached  New  York,  the 
inhabitants  went  wild  with  delight,  the  city  was  illum- 
inated, and  special  bonfires  were  lighted  in  the  Bowling 
Green.  In  a  burst  of  loyalty,  the  citizens  determined 
to  erect  an  equestrian  statue  of  George  III.  in  the  Bowl- 
ing Green,  and  one  of  Pitt  in  Wall  Street.  The  gilt 
statue  of  the  king  was  erected  August  21,  1770,  amid  the 
roar  of  artillery  and  the  plaudits  of  the  enthusiastic  and 
loyal  people. 

The  wooden  fence  was  replaced  temporarily  in  No- 
vember of  the  same  year ;  but  the  general  assembly  of  the 
province  feared:  "That  unless  the  said  Green  be  fenced 
in,  the  same  will  soon  become  a  receptacle  for  all  the  filth 
and  dirt  of  the  neighborhood,  in  order  to  prevent  which, 
it  is  ordered  that  the  same  be  fenced  with  iron  rails,  at  an 
expense  of  £800."  It  is  generally  stated  that  this  fence 
and  the  original  stones  still  surround  the  park;  but  the 
royal  crowns  and  the  leaden  balls  which  ornamented  the 
pillars  were  broken  off,  to  be  used  as  missiles  to  be  fired 
at  the  Asia  man-of-war,  in  case  she  bombarded  the  town. 

On  the  tenth  of  July,  1776,  the  news  reached  the  city 
from  Philadelphia  that  the  Congress  had  declared  that 
"these  Colonies  are,  and  of  right  ought  to  be,  free  and 


The  Fort  and  the  Bowling  Green 


23 


independent  States."  The  enthusiastic  populace  tore  the 
picture  of  George  III.  from  its  frame  in  the  city  hall  in 
Wall  Street,  and  then  proceeded  to  the  Bowling  Green, 
where  willing  hands  soon  had  ropes  around  the  figures 
of  the  king  and  his  horse.  "With  a  long  pull,  a  strong 
pull,  and  a  pull  altogether,"  the  leaden  horse  and  his 


PULLING  DOWN  THE  STATUE  OF  GEORGE  III. 

(From  an  old  print) 


leaden  rider  came  tumbling  to  the  earth.  At  the  same 
time  the  railing  was  stripped  of  its  royal  ornaments. 
The  pedestal  was  left  standing  until  after  the  Revolu- 
tion. The  lead  figures  were  broken  up  and  sent  to 
Litchfield  in  Connecticut,  the  home  of  Oliver  Wolcott, 
later  governor  of  the  State,  by  whose  wife  and  daughter 
they  were  melted  and  run  into  42,000  bullets,  which  the 
American  patriots  used  later  against  the  royal  troops. 


24 


The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Upon  two  occasions,  one  as  late  as  the  spring  of  1909, 
pieces  of  the  statue  have  been  found  in  Litchfield  while 
excavating  for  foundations  for  new  buildings.  It  is 
supposed  that  these  pieces  fell  into  the  hands  of  Tories, 
who  had  buried  them  for  safe  keeping ;  but  who  were  com- 
pelled to  leave  the  relics  when  they,  themselves,  were 
obliged  to  flee  from  the  wrath  of  their  neighbors.  The 
pedestal  upon  which  the  horse  stood  and  a  portion  of  the 
mane  have  for  many  years  been  in  the  possession  of  the 
New  York  Historical  Society. 

On  August  27,  1776,  was  fought  the  battle  of  Long 
Island;  and  on  the  twelfth  of  September,  a  council  of 
war  was  called  by  Washington  which  decided  that  the 
city  was  untenable  and  should  be  evacuated.  The  fort 
was  dismantled,  and  on  the  fifteenth,  the  British  occupied 
the  city.  Once  more  the  banner  of  Great  Britain  flew 
over  the  ramparts  of  the  fort,  while  the  Parade  was 
trodden  by  men  in  the  red  coats  of  the  English,  the  kilts 
of  the  Highlanders,  and  the  green  coats  of  the  German 
yagers.  They  all  departed  forever  on  November  25, 
1783,  when  the  American  army  of  occupation  resumed 
possession  of  the  city  and  fort  and  flung  the  starry 
banner  to  the  breeze  amid  the  roar  of  cannon  and  the 
cheers  of  the  multitude. 

In  the  year  1786,  Daniel  Ludlow  and  Chancellor  Liv- 
ingston asked  individually  and  separately  permission  to 
have  "the  care  and  use  of  the  Bowling  Green,"  which 
they  agreed  to  beautify  and  keep  in  order  without  ex- 
pense to  the  corporation.  The  chancellor  had  the  bigger 
"pull"  with  the  city  authorities,  and  his  request  was 
granted  on  the  terms  first  proposed  by  Mr.  Ludlow. 

On  July  23,  1788,  three  days  before  the  State  con- 
vention ratified  the  Federal  Constitution,  the  New  York 
merchants,  mechanics,  and  others    all  friends  and  ad- 


The  Fort  and  the  Bowling  Green  25 

mirers  of  Alexander  Hamilton — arranged  a  great  pro- 
cession in  his  honor,  the  first  thing  of  its  kind  in  the  city. 
There  were  several  floats  manned  by  artisans  of  the 
various  trades ;  but  the  most  striking  feature  of  the  parade 
was  a  float  drawn  by  six  horses,  carrying  the  replica  of 
a  32 -gun  frigate,  named  the  Federal  Ship  Hamilton, 
twenty-seven  feet  long,  manned  by  Commodore  Nicholson 
and  thirty  sailors  and  marines.  The  procession  started 
from  the  Bowling  Green  and  went  to  Bayard's  farm  in 
the  vicinity  of  Grand  Street,  where  a  plentiful  dinner  was 
served  to  over  four  thousand  persons.  The  ship  must 
have  been  returned  to  the  starting  point  and  left  there, 
as  in  the  records  of  1789,  there  appears  the  appointment 
of  a  committee  "to  remove  the  Federal  Ship  out  of  the 
Bowling  Green,  to  have  the  fence  repaired,  and  to  let 
out  the  Bowling  Green." 

When  the  fort  was  demolished  in  1787  and  1788  to 
make  way  for  the  Government  House  to  be  erected  on 
its  site,  a  number  of  interesting  objects  was  disclosed; 
among  others,  the  stone  tablet  of  1642,  which  had  been 
placed  upon  the  front  of  the  church  to  commemorate  its 
building  by  Director-General  Kieft,  and  the  vault  con- 
taining the  leaden  coffins  of  Lord  Bellomont,  and  his 
wife,  which  were  identified  by  the  silver  plates.  The 
bodies  were  removed  to  unmarked  graves  in  St.  Paul's 
churchyard,  while  the  silver  plates,  at  first  intended  for 
exhibition  in  a  museum,  went  at  last  into  the  melting- 
pot,  and  were  converted  into  spoons.  (From  the  grave 
to  the  gravy,  as  it  were.)  The  stone  from  the  fort  was 
used  for  the  foundations  of  the  Government  House, 
while  the  earth  was  used  for  filling  in  the  adjoining 
Battery  Park. 

It  was  intended  that  the  Government  House  should  be 
the  residence  of  President  Washington,  but  it  was  not 


26  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


ready  for  his  occupancy  before  the  removal  of  the  seat  of 
government  to  Philadelphia.  It  was  occupied  by  Gov- 
ernors Clinton  and  Jay ;  and  later,  when  the  State  capital 
was  removed  to  Albany  in  1799,  it  was  used  as  a  custom- 
house. It  is  described  as  being  two  stories  high  with  a 
portico  before  it  covered  by  a  pediment  upon  which 
were  carved  the  arms  of  the  State — the  pediment  being 
supported  by  four  white  Ionic  columns.  The  house 
stood  upon  an  elevation  fronting  Broadway,  "having  be- 


GOVERNMENT  HOUSE 


fore  it  an  elegant,  elliptical  approach,  around  an  area  of 
near  an  acre  of  ground,  enclosed  by  an  iron  railing." 

In  1 791,  the  street  committee  reported  that  the  Bowl- 
ing Green  should  be  preserved  and  "that  the  fence  should 
be  raised  in  proportion  to  the  regulating  of  Broadway." 
In  1795,  the  park  was  set  aside  for  the  garden  of  the 
governor  for  the  time  being.  On  July  eighteenth  of  the 
same  year,  its  sanctity  was  invaded  by  a  howling  mob 
of  indignant  citizens,  who  there  burned,  to  the  strains 
of  The  Carmagnole  the  treaty  with  England,  and  the 


The  Fort  and  the  Bowling  Green  27 


effigy  of  its  negotiator,  John  Jay.  Our  people  were  at 
that  time  very  French  in  their  sympathies.  In  1798, 
John  Rogers  was  granted  the  use  of  the  Bowling  Green 
"on  condition  that  he  keep  it  in  order  and  suffer  no  crea- 
tures to  ruin  it."  It  seems,  therefore,  that  for  some 
reasons  the  park  was  not  a  success  as  a  garden  for  the 
governor's  private  use. 

The  State  legislature  of  1812  authorized  the  comptrol- 
ler of  the  State  to  sell  in  fee  simple  the  Government  House 
and  the  adjoining  grounds  to  the  city  of  New  York  for 
not  less  than  fifty  thousand  dollars.  There  was  a  pro- 
viso that  the  grounds  should  not  be  sold  for  the  erection 
of  private  buildings  or  for  other  individual  purposes ;  but 
the  proviso  was  repealed,  and  the  city's  option  to  buy  was 
limited  to  November  1,  18 13.  How  and  when  the  State 
obtained  possession  of  this  city  property  are  not  known; 
except,  perhaps,  as  the  inheritor  of  the  province  and  by 
claiming  that  the  fort  and  its  appurtenances  were  pro- 
vincial property,  and  not  municipal.  However,  the  city 
received  a  deed  from  the  state  on  August  2,  1813,  sub- 
ject to  a  lease  of  the  property  to  DeWitt  Clinton  and 
others,  expiring  on  May  1,  1815.  Some  time  during 
1815,  the  Government  House  is  said  to  have  burned 
down. 

The  city  divided  the  property  into  seven  parcels,  or 
lots,  and  these  were  sold  on  June  19,  1815.  The  pur- 
chasers probably  bought  on  speculation,  as  all  but  one  of 
the  lots  did  not  long  remain  in  their  possession  but  were 
transferred  to  others.  This  section  was  then  the  most 
fashionable  in  the  city ;  and  as  the  lots,  with  one  exception, 
were  thirty  feet  wide,  and  one  hundred  and  thirty  feet 
deep,  it  was  not  long  before  a  row  of  elegant  mansions 
occupied  the  site.  The  grandmother  of  one  of  the 
author's  friends  used  to  live  in  one  of  these  houses,  and  she 


28  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


used  to  tell  how  as  a  girl  she  went  with  the  rest  of  her 
family  to  their  summer  house  near  Broadway  and  Four- 
teenth Street,  and  of  the  preparations  made  for  weeks 
ahead  for  this  summer  flitting  into  the  country. 

When  the  Croton  water  was  introduced  into  the  city, 
the  occupants  of  the  houses  fronting  on  the  Bowling 
Green  erected  a  fountain,  consisting  of  a  rough  stone 
structure,  over  which  the  water  was  conducted  by  means 
of  a  pipe.  The  design  was  not  one  of  beauty  and  called 
forth  considerable  adverse  criticism  from  visitors  from 
abroad. 

And  now  Mr.  Brown 

Was  fairly  in  town, 
In  that  part  of  the  city  they  used  to  call  "down," 
Not  far  from  the  spot  of  ancient  renown 

As  being  the  scene 

Of  the  Bowling  Green, 
A  fountain  that  looked  like  a  huge  tureen 
Piled  up  with  rocks,  and  a  squirt  beween. 


And  he  stopped  at  an  Inn  that's  known  very  well, 
"  Delmonico's"  once — now  "Steven's  Hotel"; 
(And  to  venture  a  pun  which  I  think  rather  witty, 
There's  no  better  Inn  in  this  Inn-famous  city!) 

John  Godfrey  Saxe. 

By  1850,  fashion  had  left  this  neighborhood  and  busi- 
ness had  crept  in;  and  these  mansions  became  the  offices 
of  several  of  the  foreign  consulates  and  of  the  great  steam- 
ship companies,  so  that  they  became  popularly  known  as 
"Steamship  Row."  These  are  within  the  recollection  of 
some  of  our  younger  citizens.     The  national  govern- 


The  Fort  and  the  Bowling  Green 


29 


ment  bought  the  site  for  a  custom-house,  and  held  it  for 
several  years  before  beginning  the  work  of  demolition 
of  the  old  mansions.    The  corner-stone  of  the  building 


"  STEAMSHIP  ROW"  AND  THE  BOWLING  GREEN 


was  laid  October  2,  1902,  and  the  building  was  opened 
for  business  in  November,  1907.  This  beautiful  and 
imposing  building,  designed  by  Cass  Gilbert,  cost  the 
government  about  seven  millions  of  dollars.    Its  front 


30  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


is  ornamented  by  a  number  of  statues  of  famous  individ- 
uals, and  by  four  symbolic  groups,  the  work  of  Daniel 
French,  representing  in  marble,  Europe,  Asia,  Africa,  and 
America. 


CHAPTER  III 

BROADWAY  TO  WALL  STREET 

OLLOWING  the  custom  of  renaming 
which  was  introduced  by  the  Eng- 
lish, the  Heere  Straat  of  the  Dutch 
became  Broadway,  even  the  Dutch 
calling  it  in  their  own  tongue, 
Breedeweg.  Many  of  the  grantees 
of  lots  on  both  sides  of  the  street 
were  imbued  by  the  spirit  of  land 
speculation  which  has  distinguished  the  city  ever  since, 
and  the  constant  changes  in  ownership  of  the  lots  show 
this  speculative  spirit.  The  authorities  tried  in  1676  to 
increase  the  occupancy  of  the  vacant  lots  of  the  city  by 
directing  all  owners  of  vacant  lots  or  ruinous  buildings  to 
build  upon  the  lots  or  improve  them  under  penalty  of 
seeing  them  sold  at  public  auction.  This  was  an  exercise 
of  the  right  of  eminent  domain  which  would  have  satisfied 
Henry  George  two  centuries  later. 

At  the  time  of  the  English  occupation  in  1664,  the 
highway  extended  only  as  far  as  the  wall ;  it  took  nearly  a 
century  more  before  it  was  extended  to  the  Commons,  and 
this  upper  section  was  called  Great  George  Street.  The 
surface  of  Manhattan  was  naturally  rolling,  and  this  early 
Broadway  followed  the  inequalities  of  the  surface  at  the 
top  of  the  ridge  which  sloped  to  both  rivers.    The  two 

31 


32  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


principal  streets  of  the  Dutch  already  mentioned  were 
in  fact,  nothing  but  cow-paths  over  which  the  cattle  were 
driven  to  and  from  pasture;  this  was  pre-eminently  so 
with  Pearl  Street,  which  was  called  the  Cowpath. 

Broadway 

A  cow-path  only;  yet  in  its  birth, 

It  had  the  promise  of  its  present  worth : 

For  Nature  had  its  course  prescribed 

Between  the  eastern  and  the  western  tide, 

And  man  has  learned,  despite  his  bold  persistence, 

That  Nature's  law  is  best — "the  line  of  least  resistance." 

In  1658,  the  inhabitants  of  Brower  Street  were  directed 
to  pave  their  street  in  order  to  facilitate  traffic,  as  the 
street  was  almost  impassable.  This  was  the  first  street 
in  the  city  that  was  paved,  and  in  consequence  it  became 
known  as  Stone  Street.  Broadway  was  not  paved  until 
1707,  and  then  only  from  Trinity  Church  to  the  Bowling 
Green ;  at  the  same  time  the  residents  were  permitted  to 
plant  trees  in  front  of  their  lots.  In  1709,  the  street  was 
levelled  as  far  as  Maiden  Lane.  In  1691,  an  order  was 
made  concerning  the  paving  of  certain  streets,  among 
which  we  find:  "Broadway,  on  both  sides,  ten  feet, 
down  to  Mr.  Smith's  (opposite  the  Bowling  Green)  on 
the  west  side,  and  to  Lucas  Kiersted's  on  the  other." 
Yet  it  is  probable  that  the  vicinity  of  the  Bowling  Green 
was  not  paved  until  1747,  when  a  committee  was  ap- 
pointed to  have  so  much  of  the  street  around  the  Bowling 
Green  and  the  fence  along  the  fort  paved  as  they  might 
see  proper.  The  paving  consisted  of  cobblestones,  and 
extended  only  ten  feet  in  front  of  the  houses,  the  middle  of 
the  street  serving  as  a  gutter  and  probably  being  a  quag- 
mire in  wet  weather.  The  work  fell  upon  the  owners  of 
3 


33 


34  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


the  lots,  and  in  case  of  default  in  complying  with  the 
ordinance  there  was  a  fine  of  twenty  shillings  to  be  levied 
upon  the  recalcitrant  householder. 

Anything  in  the  way  of  sidewalks  was  at  first  voluntary 
on  the  part  of  the  property  owners;  they  were  called 
strookes  by  the  Dutch.  Sidewalks  did  not  come  in  until 
1790,  and  then  were  made  of  brick.  New  York  was  far 
behind  the  Quaker  City  in  this  respect,  as  shown  by  a 
remark  of  Dr.  Franklin  to  the  effect  that  a  New  Yorker 
could  be  known  by  his  gait,  in  shuffling  over  a  Philadel- 
phia fine  pavement  like  a  parrot  upon  a  mahogany  table. 
A  Philadelphia  visitor  about  1835  remarks  then  that  New 
York's  large  flagstones  and  wide  foot  pavements  surpass 
Philadelphia  even  for  ease  of  walking,  and  the  unusual 
width  of  the  flagstone  footways  across  the  pebbled  streets 
at  the  corners  is  very  superior.  It  must  have  been  a 
pleasure  to  him  to  get  away  from  the  possibility  of 
stepping  on  a  loose  brick  on  a  rainy  day. 

There  seems  to  have  been  some  difficulty  in  getting 
rid  of  the  water  on  Broadway  after  a  heavy  rain  on  ac- 
count of  the  configuration  of  the  land.  An  early  en- 
gineer proposed  a  scheme  for  lowering  Broadway  and 
diverting  the  surplus  water  into  Blommaert's  Vly  and  the 
Broad  Street  ditch ;  but  the  project  did  not  meet  with  ap- 
proval. In  1712,  Broadway  was  levelled  between  Maiden 
Lane  and  the  Commons.  It  is  probable  that  the  street 
had  been  regulated  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Bowling  Green 
before  this,  possibly  by  the  ordinance  of  1 691,  quoted 
above.  That  the  street  had  been  cut  down  some  six 
or  eight  feet  was  shown  by  an  ancient  house  which  for- 
merly stood  at  Beaver  Street  and  Broadway,  whose 
foundations  were  left  standing  above  the  street  after 
the  cutting  down.  In  1760,  a  committee  was  appointed 
to  regulate  and  pave  Broadway  between  Dey  and  Divi- 


35 


36  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


sion  (Fulton)  streets ;  and  after  the  Revolution,  there  were 
ordered  surveys  from  Rector  Street  north  preparatory  to 
regulating  and  paving.  In  1718  the  first  rope-walk  in  the 
city  was  established  on  the  line  of  Great  George  Street, 
abreast  of  the  Commons,  between  Park  Place  and  Barclay 
Street;  it  is  shown  on  the  Montgomerie  map  of  1728. 

In  1677,  public  wells,  two  of  which  were  in  the 
middle  of  Broadway,  were  established  for  the  better 
protection  of  the  city  in  case  of  fire.  One  of  these  wells, 
called  "Mr.  Rombout's  Well,"  was  situated  near  Ex- 
change Place,  the  other,  not  far  from  it.  The  care  of 
these  wells  was  placed  with  a  committee  of  the  inhabi- 
tants of  the  vicinity,  who  were  assessed  for  one  half  of 
their  cost  and  maintenance.  The  water  in  the  city  was 
generally  bad  and  scarce;  though  occasionally  good 
sweet  water  was  found,  as  at  the  famous  "Tea  Water 
Pump"  at  Pearl  Street  and  the  Bowery.  Potable  water 
from  some  of  these  good  sources  of  supply  was  hawked 
about  the  streets,  and  sold  to  the  inhabitants.  The  wells 
were  abolished  from  Broadway  in  1806. 

The  question  of  an  adequate  supply  of  good  water 
arose  as  early  as  1774,  when  Christopher  Colles  con- 
structed a  reservoir  at  public  expense  on  the  east  side  of 
Great  George  Street,  between  Pearl  and  White,  then  far 
out  of  town.  Water  was  obtained  from  sunk  wells  and 
from  the  Collect,  or  Freshwater  pond,  on  the  site  of  the 
present  city  prison  on  Centre  Street.  The  water  was  dis- 
tributed through  wooden  pipes  in  1776,  but  the  supply  was 
insufficient  and  the  quality  poor.  The  British  took  posses- 
sion of  the  city  immediately  afterward,  the  plant  fell 
into  disuse,  and  the  people  returned  to  the  ancient 
pumps  and  wells.  In  1798,  the  question  of  getting  a 
supply  of  water  from  the  mainland  of  Westchester 
County  was  agitated,  but  the  corporation  was  deterred 


Broadway  to  Wall  Street  37 


by  the  expense.  Alexander  Hamilton  did  not  believe 
that  the  matter  of  water  supply  came  within  the 
province  of  the  municipality  so  far  as  ownership  and 
maintenance  were  concerned.  Then  the  Manhattan  Com- 
pany was  formed  by  Aaron  Burr,  whose  charter  gave 
the  right  of  supplying  the  city  with  water  and  the  further 
right  to  engage  in  the  banking  business.  Colles's  reservoir 
was  utilized,  and  the  old  plan  of  wooden  pipes  was  re- 
sumed ;  but  water  was  both  scarce  and  bad,  and  the  com- 
pany paid  more  attention  to  banking  than  it  did  to  water 
and  thus  lost  the  confidence  of  the  community,  which 
soon  voted  the  new  plan  a  failure.  When,  in  1894,  the 
excavations  were  in  progress  for  the  cable  road  of  Jacob 
Sharp,  some  of  the  old  wooden  pipes  were  exhumed  in 
Broadway.  The  great  fire  of  1835,  entailing  a  loss  upon 
the  city  of  648  houses  and  over  eighteen  millions  of  dol- 
lars, quickened  the  public  interest  in  the  water  question 
upon  which  the  citizens  had  voted  "yes"  at  the  previous 
spring  election.  Croton  water  was  admitted  into  the 
city  on  July  4,  1842,  and  the  event  was  celebrated  on  the 
fourteenth  of  October  with  the  most  imposing  celebra- 
tion which  had  yet  graced  the  streets  of  the  city. 

In  the  Dutch  days,  no  attempt  was  made  at  lighting 
the  streets  of  the  town  at  night;  but  in  1679  every  seventh 
house  was  obliged  to  hang  out  a  pole  with  a  lantern  and 
lighted  candle  on  the  nights  when  there  was  no  moon ;  and 
at  the  same  time  a  night  watch  was  formed.  The  ex- 
pense of  the  lights  was  divided  among  the  seven  house- 
holders adjacent  to  the  lantern.  In  1762,  an  act  of 
the  assembly  gave  authority  to  provide  means  of  lighting 
the  city,  and  in  that  year  the  first  lamps  and  posts  were 
purchased.  In  1774,  sixteen  lamplighters  were  employed. 
In  1823,  the  Manhattan  Gaslight  Company  was  in- 
corporated and  permitted  to  light  the  city  below  Canal 


38  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Street.  The  gas  pipes  were  laid  on  both  sides  of  Broad- 
way in  1825,  and  the  lamps  were  lighted  shortly  afterward. 
This  system  still  prevails  throughout  the  city,  though 
electric  lighting  has  superseded  gas  in  most  of  the  impor- 
tant thoroughfares.  Broadway,  between  Fourteenth  and 
Twenty-sixth  streets,  was  the  first  section  of  the  city  to  be 
lighted  with  arc  lights,  December  20,  1880.  About  the 
same  time,  a  high  mast  was  erected  in  the  middle  of  Union 
Square  at  the  top  of  which  was  a  cluster  of  electric  lamps ; 
but  this  plan  of  lighting  the  square  was  not  a  success. 

The  establishment  of  a  meat  market  in  the  Bowling 
Green  has  already  been  described.  It  was  still  in  use  in 
1702,  as  it  was  rented  then  for  five  years.  About  the 
end  of  the  seventeenth  century,  a  new  plan  was  adopted 
by  which  the  city  was  spared  the  expense  of  erecting  the 
necessary  market  buildings.  This  was  by  the  residents  of 
a  neighborhood  petitioning  for  a  market,  for  which  they 
paid  the  cost  of  erection  and  maintenance  and  a  rental 
to  the  city,  which  became  the  owner  at  the  expiration  of 
the  lease. 

In  1738,  the  inhabitants  of  the  West  Ward  between 
Broadway  and  the  Hudson  petitioned  for  the  erection  of  a 
market  in  Broadway,  as  they  were  so  distant  from  the 
markets  already  established,  and  for  the  convenience  of 
farmers  and  others  who  came  from  New  Jersey  and  from 
up  the  Hudson.  Upon  permission  being  granted,  they 
erected  (1739)  a  market-house  forty-two  feet  long  and 
twenty-six  feet  wide  in  the  middle  of  Broadway,  "front- 
ing the  street  in  which  the  chief  justice  lives  (probably 
Maiden  Lane),  and  opposite  to  Crown  (Liberty)  Street." 
Mention  is  also  made  of  a  market  having  occupied  this 
site  in  1729.  The  market  was  called  the  "Oswego  Mar- 
ket." In  1746,  twenty-six  feet  were  added  to  the  south 
end  of  the  building,  and  other  additions  were  made  later. 


Broadway  to  Wall  Street  39 


It  enjoyed  a  prosperous  existence  for  over  thirty  years,  by 
which  time  Broadway  had  grown  up  and  become  one  of 
the  principal  streets  of  the  city.  Many  attempts  were 
made  to  get  the  corporation  to  remove  the  market,  tak- 
ing up,  as  it  did,  so  much  of  the  highway  that  it  inter- 
fered with  traffic ;  but  the  corporation  refused  to  act.  At 
last  the  building  was,  in  1 77 1,  declared  a  public  nuisance 
by  the  grand  jury.  They  describe  it  as  being  one  hundred 
and  fifty-six  feet  long  and  twenty  feet,  three  and  one 
half  inches  wide. 

The  Common  Council  decided  to  defend  the  indict- 
ment and  consulted  two  of  the  leading  lawyers  of  the 
city,  James  Duane  and  Samuel  Jones.  The  former  de- 
clined to  act  as  counsel  and  the  latter  gave  it  as  his 
opinion  that  the  city  should  submit.  This  the  city  at 
first  declined  to  do,  resolving  to  let  the  matter  be  de- 
cided by  the  court ;  but  further  reflection  made  them  think 
differently,  and  they  decided  to  move  the  market  to  an- 
other site.  Several  localities  were  suggested, — among 
others,  the  Commons, — and  the  Council  finally  settled 
upon  the  shore  of  the  North  River  at  the  foot  of  Dey 
Street,  where  a  new  market -house  was  erected  which 
subsequently  became  Washington  Market  (18 12).  At 
the  time  that  the  Oswego  Market  was  removed  from 
Broadway,  the  street  was  paved  in  that  locality. 

The  market  received  its  odd  name  from  the  fact  that 
during  the  French  and  Indian  War,  Fort  Oswego  was  con- 
sidered the  most  important  place  within  control  of  the 
English  to  withstand  the  encroachments  of  the  French 
from  Canada.  The  troops,  provisions,  and  other  sup- 
plies for  the  fort  were  all  shipped  from  the  river  front  near 
the  foot  of  the  present  Cortlandt  Street,  a  point  which  be- 
came known  as  the  "Oswego  Landing."  The  lane  from 
the  landing  led  up  to  the  market,  which  thus  adopted  the 


40  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


name  of  Oswego.  It  was  also  called  the  "Broadway- 
Market,"  and  the  "Crown  Market"  from  being  abreast  of 
Crown  Street.  After  the  removal  of  the  market  from  the 
middle  of  Broadway  in  1771,  the  residents  of  the  vicinity 
felt  the  inconvenience  of  having  no  market  near  by,  and 
so  petitioned  for  the  establishment  of  one  on  the  corner 
of  Broadway  and  Maiden  Lane;  their  petition  was 
granted,  and  the  market  established  shortly  afterward. 
It  took  the  name  of  Oswego,  but  is  better  known  as  "Old 
Swago."  It  stood  until  181 1,  when  it  was  removed  by 
aldermanic  resolution,  adopted  May  6th  of  the  same  year. 

The  first  attempt  to  clean  the  streets  was  made  in 
1696,  when  a  contract  was  made  at  thirty  pounds  sterling 
a  year.  Before  this,  every  householder  had  been  obliged 
to  keep  the  street  clean  in  front  of  his  own  residence. 
These  ordinances  failed  of  effect;  and  in  1702,  all  the  in- 
habitants were  required  to  sweep  the  dirt  into  heaps  in 
front  of  their  doors  on  Friday  morning  and  to  have  it  re- 
moved before  Saturday  night  under  penalty  of  a  fine  of 
six  shillings.  The  cartmen  were  obliged  to  carry  away 
the  dirt  at  three  cents  a  load,  or,  if  they  loaded  their 
own  carts,  at  six  cents;  in  the  event  of  a  refusal,  they 
were  subject  to  heavy  fines.  As  late  as  1800,  the  chim- 
neys were  swept  by  small  negro  boys  who  went  their 
rounds  at  daybreak,  crying:  "Sweep,  ho!  sweep,  ho! 
from  the  bottom  to  the  top,  without  a  ladder  or  a  rope, 
sweep,  ho!"  with  numerous  variations.  It  was  not  until 
the  days  of  Colonel  Waring  subsequent  to  January, 
1895,  that  New  York  learned  that  its  streets  could  be 
cleaned  thoroughly  and  economically. 

From  the  Dutch  days  down  to  1825,  there  were  no 
methods  employed  for  removing  the  refuse  and  garbage 
from  the  houses.  All  such  matter  was  thrown  into  the 
streets  where  it  was  disposed  of  by  the  hogs,  which  were 


Broadway  to  Wall  Street  41 


allowed  to  range  the  streets  for  that  purpose,  as  the  dogs 
used  to  do  in  Constantinople.  It  was  estimated  as  late 
as  1820  that  thirty  thousand  hogs  roamed  the  streets  of 
the  city,  and  in  Boston,  Philadelphia,  and  other  places, 
New  York  was  a  byword  for  filthiness.  Notwithstand- 
ing the  fatal  visitations  of  the  yellow  fever  and  other 
diseases, — directly  traceable  to  the  festering  masses  of 
putrefying  refuse  in  the  city  streets, — it  was  not  until 
1823  that  the  Common  Council  listened  to  the  protests  of 
the  best  citizens  and  directed  that  carts  should  be  used  to 
remove  the  garbage  and  that  the  swine  should  be  cap- 
tured and  sent  to  the  public  pound.  The  men  and  boys 
of  the  streets  offered  such  forcible  resistance  to  the  carts 
and  to  the  attempt  to  arrest  the  hogs  that  the  ordinance 
became  a  dead  letter  until  several  years  later,  when  a 
proper  public  spirit  of  indignation  against  such  antiquated 
methods  was  aroused,  and  the  hogs  were  driven  from  the 
streets  and  the  carts  permitted  to  go  unmolested. 

Within  the  quarter  century  following  the  English  oc- 
cupation, the  character  of  Broadway,  at  least  on  the  west 
side  and  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Bowling  Green,  be- 
gan to  change;  for  several  of  the  wealthy  merchants 
erected  their  houses  on  Broadway,  and  it  began  to  be- 
come a  fashionable  part  of  the  city.  It  was  customary  in 
the  old  days  for  a  merchant  to  live  over  his  shop;  but 
this  was  not  so  much  the  case  in  Broadway,  of  which  it 
has  already  been  said  that  it  was  remote  from  business. 
Both  before  and  after  the  Revolution,  William  Street  was 
the  great  dry-goods  section,  where  the  belles  of  those  days 
purchased  their  materials,  whose  names  and  meanings 
are  unknown  to  the  present  generation.  There  were 
amens,  cordurets,  camblets,  callimancos,  casserillias, 
durants,  osnaburgs,  platillas,  ribdelurs,  shalloons,  tick- 
lenburgs,  weldbores,  and  half  a  dozen  others.    It  was 


42  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


not  until  about  18*40  that  Broadway  got  its  share  of  this 
trade,  due  to  the  great  fire  of  1835,  which  swept  away  the 
whole  business  section  east  of  Broadway  and  south  of 
Wall  Street — a  trade  that  it  kept  for  many  years  after- 
wards. But  even  as  late  as  1845,  Broadway  was  not  by 
any  means  the  sole  business  street  of  the  city,  though 
rapidly  becoming  the  fashionable  one. 

Of  the  character  and  number  of  the  houses  that  stood 
on  the  west  side  of  Broadway  at  the  time  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, we  have  no  positive  knowledge ;  as  everything,  with 
three  or  four  exceptions,  was  swept  away  by  the  great 
fire  which  obliterated  that  section  immediately  after 
the  British  occupation,  September  21,  1776.  An  enum- 
eration of  the  houses  in  1744  shows  there  were  1141  in 
the  whole  city,  of  which  129  were  on  the  west  side  of 
Broadway;  but  it  must  be  remembered  that  even  as  late 
as  the  British  evacuation  in  1783,  the  street  did  not  go 
much  above  St.  Paul's.  The  lots  on  the  west  side  all 
sloped  down  to  the  river,  which  at  that  time  was  about 
on  the  line  of  the  present  Greenwich  Street.  On  the  east 
side  of  the  highway,  the  houses  still  continued  to  be  of  a 
meaner  description. 

At  the  end  of  the  Dutch  days,  on  the  west  side  of  the 
Bowling  Green,  were  two  taverns,  one  kept  by  Pieter 
Kocks,  later,  by  his  widow  Annetje, — the  other,  by 
Martin  Krigier.  Both  of  them  had  been  soldiers;  and 
as  their  taverns  were  near  the  fort,  their  houses  became 
very  popular  with  the  members  of  the  garrison  and  also 
with  the  people  who  crossed  the  Hudson  to  attend  to 
business  on  the  Marketfield.  North  of  these  taverns 
were  the  house  of  Dominie  Megapolensis,  the  house  of  the 
secretary  of  the  Company,  and  the  burial  ground  near 
the  present  Morris  Street. 

During  the  seventeenth  century  it  was  customary  for 


Broadway  to  Wall  Street  43 


the  European  nations  to  allow  citizens  to  fit  out  private 
armed  vessels  to  prey  upon  the  commerce  of  any  nation 
with  whom  they  might  be  at  war.  These  privateers  did 
not  confine  their  attentions  to  the  enemy's  vessels;  but 
as  time  passed,  they  became  so  bold  that  they  attacked, 
captured,  or  destroyed  any  vessel  that  they  thought 
worth  while,  no  matter  what  flag  it  carried.  If  there 
were  sufficient  monetary  or  political  influence,  the  letters 
of  marque  were  easily  obtained;  so  that  privateers  were 
soon  numerous,  and  not  a  few  became  out  and  out  buc- 
caneers. The  whole  American  coast  was  infested  by 
them,  and  legitimate  commerce  was  almost  entirely 
wiped  out.  Many  of  the  wealthy  New  Yorkers  were 
backers  of  these  enterprises,  and  even  Governor  Fletcher 
was  so  deeply  interested  as  to  call  forth  the  denunciations 
of  the  better  class  of  merchants.  These  had  their  effect 
upon  the  home  government,  and  Fletcher  was  recalled  in 
1695.  He  was  succeeded  by  Lord  Bellomont,  who  came 
in  1698  with  the  avowed  intention  of  suppressing  piracy. 
New  York  was  the  rendezvous  of  these  gentry ;  and  it  was 
no  unusual  thing  to  see  them  swaggering  about  the  streets 
of  the  little  town,  armed  with  cutlass  and  pistol,  resorting 
to  the  taverns  and  terrorizing  the  inhabitants.  "Easy 
come,  easy  go,"  is  a  saying  particularly  applicable  to 
money,  and  these  privateersmen  were  liberal  spenders; 
so  that  most  of  the  gold  and  silver  coin  in  circulation 
came  from  them.  Much  of  this  was  of  Arabian  mintage, 
which  the  pirates  obtained  from  their  outrages  in  the 
Indian  Ocean,  where  their  headquarters  were  on  the 
island  of  Madagascar.  In  fact,  so  supine  were  the  gov- 
ernor and  authorities  that  the  town  was  at  the  mercy  of 
these  sea-robbers  until  Bellomont  took  vigorous  measures 
to  suppress  them. 

The  plot  of  ground  formerly  occupied  by  the  Kocks 


44  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


tavern  came  into  the  possession  of  Admiral  Sir  Peter 
Warren,  who  erected  upon  it  an  elegant  mansion,  which 
passed  later  into  the  ownership  of  the  Watts  family. 
Captain  Archibald  Kennedy  of  the  royal  navy,  at  one 
time  collector  of  the  port,  and  later,  Earl  of  Cassilas  in 
the  Scotch  peerage,  married  Mary  Watts,  and  thus 
came  into  possession  of  Number  I,  Broadway,  which,  in 
consequence,  became  known  as  the  "Kennedy  house." 
Kennedy  gave  this  house  to  his  son;  and  during  the 
ownership  of  both,  it  became  the  centre  of  the  fashionable 
life  of  the  city.  General  Charles  Lee  made  it  his  head- 
quarters in  1776,  before  his  departure  for  Charleston, 
S.  C;  Israel  Putnam  occupied  it  until  the  Americans 
were  driven  from  the  city,  and  Washington  also  made  use 
of  it  during  the  same  period.  It  escaped  the  great  fire  of 
September,  1776,  and  was  occupied  successively  by  Sir 
William  Howe,  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  and  Sir  Guy  Carleton 
as  their  city  headquarters  during  the  time  they  were 
British  commanders-in-chief  in  America.  It  was  from 
this  house  that  the  unfortunate  Andre  carried  on  his 
correspondence  with  Arnold,  and  it  was  here  that  he  had 
his  last  interview  with  Clinton  and  received  his  final  in- 
structions before  departing  on  his  fatal  journey  to  meet 
Arnold  in  September,  1780.  One  matter  particularly 
impressed  upon  him  by  Clinton  was  that  under  no  cir- 
cumstances was  he  to  go  within  the  American  lines;  and 
it  was  the  violation  of  this  order  by  Andre  that  brought 
about  his  capture  and  death. 

After  the  Revolution,  the  house  was  occupied  by 
several  leading  citizens,  among  whom  was  Isaac  Sears,  the 
famous  leader  of  the  Sons  of  Liberty,  who  was  popularly 
known  as  "  King"  Sears,  and  whose  daughters  were  styled 
the  "Princesses."  While  New  York  was  the  Federal 
capital,  the  Kennedy  house  was  the  residence  of  Don 


Broadway  to  Wall  Street  45 


Diego  de  Gardoqui,  the  Spanish  minister.  It  then  became 
a  fashionable  boarding-school  for  young  ladies,  to  which 
the  daughters  of  the  city's  best  families  were  sent.  It 
then  passed  into  the  possession  of  the  wealthy  banker, 
Nathaniel  Prime;  and  after  his  death,  it  became  the 
Washington  Hotel,  one  of  its  guests  being  the  great 
minister  of  Napoleon,  Talleyrand,  who,  during  his  exile 
from  France,  sojourned  here  while  in  the  city.  The 
famous  mansion  was  demolished  in  1882  to  make  way  for 
the  Washington  office  building,  erected  by  Cyrus  W. 
Field,  the  layer  of  the  Atlantic  cable.  Number  1,  Broad- 
way is  remarkable  in  the  fact  that  since  the  first  grant  of 
land  was  made  of  this  plot  in  1643,  only  three  buildings 
have  occupied  it.  The  spot  has  been  appropriately 
marked  by  a  bronze  tablet  placed  upon  the  building  by 
the  Holland  Society. 

At  Number  3,  lived  John  Watts,  a  member  of  the 
governor's  council,  a  colonial  judge,  and  the  father-in- 
law  of  Archibald  Kennedy.  The  site  of  Martin  Krigier's 
tavern  is  at  Number  9.  It  seems  that  about  the  year 
1700,  or  a  little  earlier,  John  Hutchins  erected  a  tavern  on 
this  site,  moving  from  his  place  opposite  the  City  Hall  at 
Wall  Street,  corner  of  Broad,  where  he  had  conducted  a 
most  fashionable  public  house,  the  headquarters  of  the 
anti-Leislerians,  for  several  years  previously.  In  1763, 
Mr.  Steel  advertises  that  he  "has  moved  the  King's 
Arms  Tavern  from  opposite  the  Exchange  [Broad  and 
Pearl  streets]  to  the  Broadway,  at  the  lower  end,  op- 
posite the  fort."  The  innkeepers  of  that  time  were  in 
the  habit  of  carrying  with  them  the  signs  of  their  taverns 
if  they  had  been  popular  ones.  This  practice  has  some- 
times caused  difficulty  in  identifying  the  sites  of  the  old 
taverns  and  their  owners.  In  1766,  we  find  in  an  ad- 
vertisement that:    "Concerts  of  Music  are  given  by 


4-6  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Edward  Bardin,  innkeeper,  at  the  King's  Arms  garden 
in  the  Broadway,  three  times  a  week  in  the  evening,  in  a 
neat  and  commodious  room  in  the  garden;  tickets  is." 
The  King's  Arms,  being  so  close  to  the  fort,  enjoyed 
great  popularity  during  the  Revolution  and  the  days 


THE  KING'S  ARMS,  ATLANTIC  GARDEN,  IN  1 765 

(From  Valentine's  Manual  for  1856) 

preceding  it,  and  was  the  headquarters  of  General  Gage 
during  the  time  he  was  commander-in-chief.  It  escaped 
the  fire  of  1776  and  was  continued  as  a  hotel  for  many 
years  afterwards,  becoming  the  Atlantic  Garden  toward 
the  end  of  its  career,  which  terminated  about  i860,  when 
the  property  became  a  place  for  the  storage  of  cars  for 
one  of  the  city  lines. 

The  King's  Arms  is  of  special  interest  in  connection 
with  Benedict  Arnold,  whose  quarters  were  in  this  build- 
ing after  his  desertion  of  the  American  cause.  The 


Broadway  to  Wall  Street  47 


patriots  were  very  anxious  to  get  possession  of  the  traitor, 
and  many  schemes  were  proposed  to  accomplish  this  pur- 
pose. The  most  famous  is  that  of  Sergeant  Champe  of 
"Light  Horse  Harry  Lee's"  squadron  of  dragoons. 
Champe  came  to  an  understanding  with  his  commander, 
and  then  deliberately  deserted  his  colors  in  New  Jersey, 
and  made  tracks  for  the  nearest  British  outpost.  His 
companions-in-arms  were  unaware  of  his  project,  and  so 
pursued  him  with  all  the  energy  and  rancor  that  could  be 
displayed  against  a  deserter,  firing  upon  him,  but  luckily 
not  hitting  him.  Thus  pursued,  he  came  well  recom- 
mended into  the  enemy's  lines,  where  he  stated  he  wished 
to  join  Arnold's  American  Legion.  He  had  an  inter- 
view with  Arnold,  who  enlisted  him. 

The  watchful  Champe  noticed  that  Arnold  was  in  the 
habit  of  walking  in  the  garden  of  the  King's  Arms  during 
the  evening.  The  land  sloped  down  to  the  shore  of  the 
Hudson,  and  a  lane  ran  along  the  edge  of  the  garden. 
Champe  made  his  plans  with  his  confederates,  who  were 
to  come  from  the  Jersey  shore  in  the  darkness,  seize 
Arnold  during  his  evening  walk,  and  carry  him  by  way 
of  the  lane  to  the  waiting  boat.  The  night  for  the  en- 
terprise arrived,  and  everything  was  in  readiness;  but 
Arnold  did  not  come.  The  next  day  he  sailed  for  Vir- 
ginia on  his  ravaging  expedition  against  Norfolk  and 
Portsmouth,  and  Champe  was  obliged  to  go  with  him. 
The  sergeant  realized  that  his  plan  had  failed  and  so 
took  the  first  opportunity  to  desert  the  British  colors  and 
find  his  way  back  to  his  own.  Lee  brought  him  before 
the  commander-in-chief  who  was  cognizant  of  the  scheme. 
Washington  offered  Champe  a  commission  in  the  army, 
but  at  the  same  time  advised  him  of  the  danger  of  ac- 
cepting it  and  of  being  taken  prisoner  by  the  British,  and 
the  surety  of  his  being  summarily  shot  as  a  deserter 


48  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


under  such  circumstances.  He  recommended  Champe  to 
move  with  his  family  from  Virginia  to  Tennessee,  prom- 
ising to  clear  his  name  of  the  charge  of  desertion.  Champe 
found  the  advice  good,  as  the  British  under  Cornwallis 
were  then  working  their  way  up  toward  Yorktown,  and 
the  partisan  Tarleton  was  appearing  in  the  most  unex- 
pected places  and  at  the  most  unlooked  for  times  and 
making  it  exceedingly  dangerous  for  any  one  in  Virginia 
not  well  affected  to  the  royal  cause ;  so  Champe  migrated 
over  the  mountains  into  Tennessee,  where  his  descendants 
may  be  found  to  this  day. 

In  1744,  an  ordinance  was  passed  permitting  the  own- 
ers of  property  between  Battery  Place  and  Morris  Street 
(though  the  streets  are  not  named)  "to  range  their 
fronts  in  such  manner  as  the  Alderman  and  Assistant 
[alderman]  of  the  West  Ward  may  think  proper."  The 
following  year,  it  was  ordered  that  a  straight  line  be 
drawn  between 

"  the  house  of  Mr.  Augustus  Jay,  now  in  the  occupation  of  Peter 
Warren,  Esq.,  to  the  north  corner  of  the  house  of  Archibald 
Kennedy,  fronting  the  Bowling  Green  in  the  Broad  Way,  and 
that  Mr.  William  Smith,  who  is  now  about  to  build  a  house 
(and  all  other  persons  who  shall  build  between  the  two  houses) 
lay  their  foundations  and  build  conformably  to  the  aforesaid 
straight  line." 

It  is  apparent  that  the  owners  of  the  property  preferred 
to  have  their  houses  with  fronts  square  to  the  side  walls 
instead  of  on  the  slant,  as  compliance  with  this  straight 
line  ordinance  required,  and  that  they  found  complaisant 
advisers  in  the  aldermen  from  that  day  to  this.  And 
how  could  aldermen  fail  to  be  obliging  to  such  persons 
as  owned  property  and  lived  here  from  the  beginning  of 
the  eighteenth  century  well  on  toward  the  first  quarter 


4 


49 


50  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


of  the  nineteenth— Jays,  De  Peysters,  Van  Cortlandts, 
and  others  of  the  great  names  in  our  city  history  ?  Stand 
at  the  Bowling  Green  to-day  and  look  along  the  west 
side  of  Broadway,  and  you  will  see  a  jog  between  each 
house  and  its  next  neighbor  all  the  way  up  to  the  Stevens 
House  at  Morris  Street;  for  the  great  engineering  family 
lived  here  on  Broadway,  too,  though  their  mansion  has 
been  a  hotel  this  many  a  year. 

In  1840,  just  after  the  great  panic  of  1837,  the  house 
and  lot  at  Number  11,  Broadway,  sold  for  $15,000,  which 
was  considered  a  low  price,  the  lot  being  thirty-nine  feet 
on  Broadway,  two  hundred  feet  deep,  and  twenty-seven 
feet  on  Greenwich  Street.  At  Number  19  was  a  boarding- 
house  at  which  Daniel  Webster  often  stopped  during  his 
visits  to  the  city.  Contiguous  to  Morris  Street  was  the 
ancient  Dutch  burial  ground,  which  was  cut  up  into  four 
lots,  each  twenty-five  by  a  hundred,  and  sold  in  1676  or 
1677.  The  first  builders  dug  up  the  bones  from  the  un- 
marked graves.  Number  39  was  the  McComb  mansion, 
six  stories  in  height,  where  Washington  lived  as  president 
after  his  removal  from  Cherry  Street.  The  rental  was 
$2500  a  year. 

We  can  imagine  the  great  man  strolling  down  Broadway 
for  a  breath  of  sea  air  from  the  Battery.  On  one  of  these 
occasions  he  was  stopped  at  the  corner  of  Broadway 
and  Wall  Street  by  an  old  Scotch  nurse  who  presented  to 
the  president  her  infant  charge,  and  asked  him  to  bless 
the  bairn,  who  had  been  named  after  him.  Washington 
patted  the  boy  on  the  head,  asked  his  name,  and  passed 
on;  but  the  youngster,  who  was  Washington  Irving,  was 
proud  of  the  fact  and  delighted  in  telling  it  in  later  years. 
Shortly  before  his  death,  Irving  told  the  story  to  George 
Haven  Putnam,  then  a  small  boy,  and  ended  with  a  quiz- 
zical smile :    "But  you  can't  see  now  the  spot  on  my  head 


Broadway  to  Wall  Street  51 


that  the  president  touched."  Young  Putnam  went 
home  with  the  story,  and  puzzled  over  its  explanation 
until  his  father  enlightened  him  with  the  remark  that 
"Irving  wore  a  wig."  If  Irving  placed  his  hands  on 
young  Putnam's  head,  we  have  a  line  of  apostolic  suc- 


THE   BUNKER  MANSION  ON  BROADWAY,  183O 

(From  Valentine's  Manual) 

cession  by  the  "the  laying  on  of  hands"  from  the  Father 
of  his  Country  to  the  present.* 

Number  39,  and  the  adjoining  house  later  became  the 
Bunker  Mansion  House,  which  acquired  considerable 
popularity  for  many  years.  At  the  corner  of  Rector 
Street,  within  the  present  grounds  of  Trinity,  Francois 
Rombout,  who  was  mayor  in  1678,  had  a  fine  mansion  with 

*  I  had  this  story  from  Mr.  Putnam  himself. 


52  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


grounds  sloping  down  to  the  river.  It  was  during  his 
administration  that  Governor  Andros  granted  to  the 
city  the  monopoly  of  bolting  flour  and  the  exclusive  right 
to  export  it,  and  forbade  all  other  towns  to  engage  in 
the  trade  under  penalty  of  forfeiture  of  the  flour. 

Rector  Street  received  its  name  from  the  fact  that  the 
first  rector  of  Trinity,  the  Rev.  William  Vesey,  used  to 
live  on  this  street;  his  name  is  also  commemorated  in 
Vesey  Street  on  the  north  side  of  St.  Paul's. 

The  houses  on  the  east  side  of  Broadway  continued  to 
be  of  an  inferior  character  for  many  years,  even  after  the 
city  came  back  to  the  possession  of  the  Americans.  We 
have  inherited  a  good  many  customs  from  the  Dutch,  and 
it  may  be  worth  while  speculating  whether  our  preference 
for  the  west  side  of  thoroughfares  running  north  and  south, 
both  for  residence  and  business,  is  not  one  of  them.  The 
only  building  on  the  east  of  any  consequence  seems  to  have 
been  a  tavern  erected  by  John  Corbett  in  English  days 
below  Exchange  Place.  During  the  fire  of  1776,  a  num- 
ber of  the  houses  were  burned;  they  were  replaced  by 
others  of  an  equally  poor,  or  poorer,  quality.  The  prices 
for  which  the  properties  sold  are  fair  criteria  of  their 
quality ;  thus,  the  highest  price  is  for  a  house  on  a  lot  fifty- 
five  by  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet,  which  sold  in  colonial 
days  for  £320. 

After  1790,  fine  residences  began  to  line  this  side  of 
the  street  as  well  as  the  other,  occupied  by  many  of  the 
leading  merchants  and  professional  men,  among  whom 
may  be  mentioned  Alexander  Hamilton  and  Dr.  Charlton. 
In  1827,  the  Adelphi  Hotel,  six  stories  in  height,  was 
erected  at  the  corner  of  Beaver  Street.  By  1825,  like  the 
opposite  side  of  the  street,  many  of  these  fine  residences 
were  given  over  to  hotels,  inns,  and  boarding-houses. 

The  most  noted  of  all  these  boarding-houses  in  the 


Broadway  to  Wall  Street  53 


thirties  was  located  at  61  Broadway  and  was  presided 
over  by  Miss  Margaret  Mann,  who  was  called  familiarly 
"Aunt"  Margaret.  It  was  patronized  largely  by  ladies, 
a  sign  of  its  eminent  respectability,  and  it  was  also  the 
stopping  place  in  New  York  of  such  actors  as  Sinclair, 
the  father  of  Mrs.  Edwin  Forrest,  and  Tyrone  Power. 

At  one  time  Washington  Irving  lived  at  Number  16 
Broadway  with  his  friend  Henry  Brevoort  at  the  house 
of  Mrs.  Ryckman.  He  often  strolled  up  Broadway  to 
visit  his  friend,  the  Widow  Jane  Renwick,  who  lived  at  the 
corner  of  Cortlandt  Street,  and  whose  son  afterwards 
became  a  professor  at  Columbia  College.  Mrs.  Renwick 
was  " The  Blue-Eyed  Lassie"  of  Robert  Burns's  poem. 
When  Irving  returned  from  his  diplomatic  post  in  Spain  in 
1848,  he  was  not  very  well  off,  and  he  took  a  desk  in  the 
office  of  his  brother,  John  Treat  Irving,  a  well-known 
lawyer.  Mr.  George  P.  Putnam  wrote  to  Irving  making 
him  a  generous  offer  in  the  matter  of  publication  of  his 
past  and  future  works.  Washington  read  the  letter  to  his 
brother  John,  and  in  his  pleasurable  excitement  kicked 
over  the  desk  in  front  of  him  and  cried:  "There  is  no 
necessity,  John,  of  my  bothering  further  with  the  law. 
Here  is  a  fool  of  a  publisher  going  to  give  me  a  thousand 
dollars  a  year  for  doing  nothing."  Putnam  remained 
Irving's  publisher  until  the  latter 's  death  in  1859,  dur- 
ing which  time  Irving  received  much  more  than  the 
thousand  dollars  a  year. 

Among  the  other  hotels  which  have  enjoyed  good 
reputations  were  Barnum's,  called  the  Howard  House  in 
1 85 1,  and  the  Tremont  Temperance  House  at  Number 
no.  In  1906,  the  small  plot  of  ground  40  feet  by  30,  at 
the  southeast  corner  of  Wall  Street,  sold  for  six  hundred 
dollars  a  square  foot,  the  highest  price  ever  paid  up  to  this 
date  (1910)  for  land  upon  the  island  of  Manhattan. 


54  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


In  the  thirties,  each  of  the  Wall  Street  corners  was 
occupied  by  a  fashionable  tailor  shop,  the  firms  being 
Howard,  Keeler  &  Scofield,  and  St.  John  &  Toucey. 
Here  were  built  clothes  for  the  fashionable  Knickerbocker 
youth  and  for  their  more  sedate  sires,  which  were  of  such 
excellent  materials,  and  so  well  made  that  they  lasted 
their  wearers  almost  a  life  time.  They  were  made  pretty 
much  on  the  same  pattern  so  that  there  was  a  similarity 
of  dress  that  became  in  time  monotonous.  An  English 
visitor  of  1905  remarked  to  me  that,  while  the  American 
men  are,  as  a  rule,  well-dressed,  their  clothes  look  as  if 
they  had  all  been  copied  from  the  same  model;  and  he 
more  than  hinted  that  we  are  all  slaves  of  the  prevailing 
fashion,  as  he  observed  it  while  walking  with  me  on  the 
great  thoroughfare.  This  he  thought  strange  in  such  a 
democratic  and  independent  people. 

Let  us  see  what  a  contemporaneous  writer  says  of 
Broadway  in  a  mock  series  of  notes  for  a  longer  article. 
It  is  headed: 

THE  STRANGER  AT  HOME;  OR  A  TOUR  OF  BROADWAY 
BY  JEREMY  COCKLOFT,  THE  YOUNGER* 

Battery — flag-staff  kept  by  Louis  Keaffee — Keaffee  main- 
tains two  spy-glasses  by  subscriptions — merchants  pay  two 
shillings  a  year  to  look  through  them  at  the  signal  poles  on 
Staten  Island — a  very  pleasant  prospect.  Young  seniors  go 
down  to  the  flag-staff  to  buy  peanuts  and  beer  [not  lager  beer, 
but  spruce  beer]  after  the  fatigue  of  their  morning  studies, 
and  sometimes  to  play  ball,  or  some  other  innocent  amusement. 
— Return  to  the  Battery — delightful  place  to  indulge  in  the 
luxury  of  sentiment.  How  various  are  the  mutations  of  the 
world!  but  a  few  days,  a  few  hours — at  least  not  above  two 

*  Salmagundi  Papers,  No.  xii. — Saturday,  June  27,  1807.  We  omit 
the  various  digressions. 


Broadway  to  Wall  Street  55 


hundred  years  ago,  this  spot  was  inhabited  by  a  race  of  ab- 
origines, who  dwelt  in  bark  huts,  lived  upon  oysters  and  Indian 
corn,  danced  buffalo  dances,  and  were  "lords  of  the  fowl  and 
the  brute";  but  the  spirit  of  time  and  the  spirit  of  brandy 
have  swept  them  from  their  ancient  inheritance. — mem. 
Battery  a  very  pleasant  place  to  walk  on  a  Sunday  evening — 
not  quite  genteel  enough  though — everybody  walks  there,  and 
a  pleasure,  however  genuine,  is  spoiled  by  general  participation 
— the  fashionable  ladies  of  New  York  turn  up  their  noses  if 
you  ask  them  to  walk  on  the  Battery  on  Sunday — quere,  have 
they  scruples  of  conscience,  or  scruples  of  delicacy?  Neither — 
they  have  only  scruples  of  gentility,  which  are  quite  different 
things. 

Custom-house*  —  this  place  much  frequented  by  mer- 
chants— and  why? — different  classes  of  merchants — im- 
porters— a  kind  of  nobility — wholesale  merchants — have 
the  privilege  of  going  to  the  city  assembly ! — Retail  traders 
cannot  go  to  the  assembly. — Some  curious  speculations 
on  the  vast  distinction  betwixt  selling  tape  by  the  piece 
or  by  the  yard. — Wholesale  merchants  look  down  upon 
the  retailers,  who  in  return  look  down  upon  the  green- 
grocers, who  look  down  upon  the  market-women,  who  don't 
care  a  straw  about  any  of  them. — Custom-house  partly  used 
as  a  lodging-house  for  pictures  belonging  to  the  academy 
of  Arts. 

Bowling  Green — fine  place  for  pasturing  cows — a  perquisite 
of  the  late  corporation — formerly  ornamented  with  a  statue  of 
George  the  Third — people  pulled  it  down  in  the  war  to  make 
bullets — great  pity;  it  might  have  been  given  to  the  academy. 
— Broadway — great  difference  in  the  gentility  of  streets — 
a  man  who  resides  in  Pearl  street,  or  Chatham  Row,  derives 
no  kind  of  dignity  from  his  domicil ;  but  place  him  in  a  certain 
part  of  Broadway,  anywhere  between  the  Battery  and  Wall 

*  The  old  government-house  facing  Bowling  Green,  built  for  President 
Washington,  afterwards  the  residence  of  Governors  George  Clinton  and 
John  Jay.    See  text. 


56  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Street,  and  he  straightway  becomes  entitled  to  figure  in  the 
beau  monde,  and  strut  as  a  person  of  prodigious  consequence! 
— Quere,  whether  there  is  a  degree  of  purity  in  the  air  of  that 
quarter  which  changes  the  gross  particles  of  vulgarity  into 
gems  of  refinement  and  polish?  A  question  to  be  asked,  but 
not  to  be  answered1. — New  brick  church! — What  a  pity  it  is 
the  corporation  of  Trinity  Church  are  so  poor! — if  they  could 
not  afford  to  build  a  better  place  of  worship,  why  did  they  not 
go  about  with  a  subscription? — Even  I  would  have  given  them 
a  few  shillings  rather  than  our  city  should  have  been  disgraced 
by  such  a  pitiful  specimen  of  economy. 

Barber's  pole;  three  different  orders  of  shavers  in  New  York 
— those  who  shave  pigs; — N.B. — freshmen  and  sophomores, — 
those  who  cut  beards,  and  those  who  shave  notes  of  hand;  the 
last  the  most  respectable  .  .  .  and  call  themselves  gentlemen ; 
yea,  men  of  honor! — Lottery  offices — another  set  of  capital 
shavers! — licensed  gambling  houses!  good  things  enough,  as 
they  enable  a  few  honest  industrious  gentlemen  to  humbug 
the  people — according  to  law. — Messrs.  Paff — beg  pardon 
for  putting  them  in  such  bad  company,  because  they  are  a 
couple  of  fine  fellows — mem.  to  recommend  Michael's  antique 
snuff-box  to  all  amateurs  in  the  art. — Eagle  singing  Yankee- 
doodle — N.B. — Buff  on,  Pennant  and  the  rest  of  the  naturalists 
all  naturals  not  to  know  the  eagle  was  a  singing  bird.2 

Cortlandt  Street  corner — famous  place  to  see  belles  go  by — 

«  The  same  idea  is  given  in  Halleck's  poem  Fanny. 

He  woke  in  strength,  like  Samson  from  his  slumber, 
And  walked  Broadway,  enraptured  the  next  day; 

Purchased  a  house  there — I 've  forgot  the  number — 
And  signed  a  mortgage  and  a  bond,  for  pay. 

The  last  removal  fixed  him:  every  stain 

Was  blotted  from  his  "household  coat,"  and  he 

Now  "showed  the  world  he  was  a  gentleman," 
And  what  was  better  could  afford  to  be. 

'  The  reference  is  to  the  sign  of  the  Paffs,  which  was  the  picture  of 
an  eagle  hanging  from  a  tree  in  front  of  their  door. 


Broadway  to  Wall  Street  57 


quere,  ever  been  shopping  with  a  lady? — Oswego  Market — 
looks  very  much  like  a  triumphal  arch — Saw  a  cartman  driving 
full  tilt  through  Broadway — run  over  a  child — good  enough 
for  it — what  business  had  it  to  be  in  the  way  ? — Hint  concerning 
the  law  against  pigs,  goats,  dogs,  and  cartmen — inquiry  into  the 
utility  of  making  laws  that  are  broken  a  hundred  times  in  a 
day  with  impunity; — my  Lord  Coke's  opinion  on  the  subject; 
my  Lord  a  very  great  man — so  was  Lord  Bacon:  a  good  story 
about  a  criminal  named  Hog  claiming  relationship  with  him. 1 — 
Hogg's  porter-house; — a  great  haunt  of  Will  Wizard.2 — Hogg's 
a  capital  place  for  hearing  the  same  stories,  the  same  jokes,  and 
the  same  songs  every  night  in  the  year — mem.  except  Sunday 
nights;  fine  school  for  young  politicians,  too — some  of  the 
longest  and  thickest  heads  in  the  city  come  there  to  settle  the 
nation. — Dey  Street — ancient  Dutch  name  of  it,  signifying 
murderer's  valley,  formerly  the  site  of  a  great  peach  orchard; 
my  grandmother's  history  of  the  famous  Peach  war — arose 
from  an  Indian  stealing  peaches  out  of  this  orchard ;  good  cause 
as  need  be  for  a  war;  just  as  good  as  the  balance  of  power. — 
mem. — ran  my  nose  against  a  lamp-post — conclude  in  great 
dudgeon. 

1  The  man  Hog  was  convicted  of  heresy  before  Judge  Bacon  during 
the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth  and  was  asked  if  he  had  anything  to  say  why 
sentence  should  not  be  pronounced  against  him.  "  My  lord,  "  he  answered, 
"you  would  not  disgrace  the  family  by  sentencing  me  to  death;  for  your 
name  being  Bacon  and  mine  Hog,  we  must  be  related."  "You  are  mis- 
taken, my  good  man,"  returned  the  learned  judge;  "you  are  no  relative 
of  mine;  for  Hog  doesn't  become  Bacon  until  it  is  smoked";  whereupon 
he  sentenced  the  unfortunate  heretic  to  the  stake  at  Smithfield. — Author. 

2  One  of  the  pseudonyms  under  which  the  trio  of  authors  of  the  Salma- 
gundi papers — James  Kirke  Paulding  and  Washington  and  William 
Irving — wrote. 


CHAPTER  IV 


FROM  WALL  STREET  TO  THE  COMMONS 


N 


1 696,  the  provincial  assembly  passed 
a  law  that  each  parish  in  the  pro- 
vince should  induct  a  good  Protest- 
ant minister  and  pay  his  salary  out 
of  the  rates.  Governor  Benjamin 
Fletcher,  who  was  an  active  church- 
man, construed  this  to  mean  that 
the  Established  Church  of  England 


should  become  the  Established  Church  of  the  province; 
and,  notwithstanding  considerable  opposition  succeeded 
in  carrying  his  point.  Thus  Trinity  came  into  being 
in  1696.  The  church  edifice  was  enlarged  in  1737  and 
destroyed  in  the  fire  of  1776.  It  was  not  rebuilt  until 
1 791;  and  the  structure  of  that  date  stood  until  1839- 
40,  when  the  present  beautiful  structure  was  begun.  A 
quarter  of  a  century  ago,  visitors  to  New  York  went  to 
the  top  of  Trinity  steeple  in  order  to  get  a  view  of  the  city 
which  lay  at  their  feet;  and  the  most  prominent  object 
to  any  one  approaching  the  city  from  any  direction  was 
the  church  spire,  which  stood  above  all  other  objects. 
Now,  Trinity  has  been  so  dwarfed  and  surrounded  by  im- 
mensely high  buildings  that  you  cannot  see  the  steeple 
until  you  are  at  the  church  itself. 

The  church  was  usually  spoken  of  in  colonial  days  as 
"the  English  church ; "  and  it  was  the  fashionable  church  of 

58 


From  Wall  Street  to  the  Commons  59 


the  city  which  was  attended  by  the  government  officials 
and  by  many  of  the  wealthy  merchants,  especially  those 
of  English  birth  or  descent.  The  bouwerie  of  the  Dutch 
West  India  Company,  lying  along  the  Hudson  without 
the  wall,  had  become  the  king's  farm,  and  this  was  granted 
to  the  church  by  Queen  Anne,  a  very  devout  church  woman 
to  whom  so  many  of  our  colonial  churches  were  deeply 


BROADWAY  AND  CORTLANDT  STREET 

(From  Valentine's  Manual  for  1859) 

indebted.  The  ringing  of  Trinity's  chimes  upon  holidays 
and  upon  New  Year's  eve  has  become  one  of  the  customs 
of  the  city;  though  the  ringing  in  of  the  new  year  has  in 
late  years  become  something  of  a  farce  owing  to  the  noise 
of  the  crowds  who  drown  out  the  music  of  the  bells  with 
discordant  blasts  of  tin  horns.  The  edifice  has  been  the  re- 
cipient of  many  beautiful  and  artistic  gifts  from  its  wealthy 
parishioners— the reredos,  the  bronze  doors,  and  the  stained 
glass  windows  being  particularly  beautiful  memorials. 


6o  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


The  ground  upon  which  the  church  and  graveyard 
stand  was  the  plot  set  aside  as  a  garden  for  the  Dutch 
Company.  The  latter  has  been  a  burial  place  ever  since 
the  closure  of  the  old  Dutch  burying-ground  in  1676  or 
1677 ;  and  it  has  been  stated  that  previous  to  1822,  160,000 
bodies  had  been  interred  within  its  limits,  though  there  is 
reason  to  believe  that  this  number  is  greatly  exaggerated. 
The  yard  contains  the  remains  of  many  of  New  York's 
citizens  of  the  olden  time;  but  burials  below  Canal  Street 
were  prohibited  in  1 8 13.  Of  the  many  prominent  names 
which  will  attract  a  visitor  to  the  graveyard,  there  are 
three  that  may  be  mentioned  here.  A  stone  sarcophagus 
on  the  left  as  we  enter  from  Broadway  contains  the  re- 
mains of  Captain  James  Lawrence  of  the  United  States 
Frigate  Chesapeake,  which  engaged  in  a  fatal  duel  with  the 
British  frigate  Shannon  off  Boston  harbor  on  the  first 
of  June,  1 813,  during  which  Lawrence  was  mortally 
wounded.  In  his  delirium,  he  kept  shouting,  "Don't 
give  up  the  ship!"  Three  months  later,  Oliver  Hazard 
Perry  went  into  battle  on  Lake  Erie  with  Lawrence's  dy- 
ing words  upon  his  battle  flag  which  he  flew  at  the  fore 
truck  of  his  flagship,  the  Lawrence.  When  obliged  to  leave 
the  sinking  Lawrence,  the  battle  flag  went  with  him  to 
the  Niagara,  from  which  he  continued  to  direct  the  fight 
that  ended  in  the  destruction  or  capture  of  the  British 
fleet.* 

Within  a  few  feet  of  each  other  along  the  southern  wall 
of  the  graveyard,  overlooking  Rector  Street,  are  the  graves 
of  Robert  Fulton,  the  inventor  of  the  steamboat,  and  of 
Alexander  Hamilton,  "The  patriot  of  incorruptible  in- 
tegrity, the  soldier  of  approved  valor,  the  statesman  of 
consummate  wisdom,  whose  talents  and  virtues  will  be 

*  Perry's  battle  flag  is  one  of  the  most  cherished  relics  at  the  United 
States  Naval  Academy  at  Annapolis. 


From  Wall  Street  to  the  Commons  61 


admired  by  grateful  posterity  long  after  this  marble 
shall  have  mouldered  into  dust." 

Another  grave  which  attracts  the  attention  of  the  ro- 
mantically sentimental  is  that  of  Charlotte  Temple,  the 
heroine  of  an  unfortunate  eighteenth  century  love  affair. 
In  the  upper  part  of  the  churchyard  is  a  monument  to  the 
prison  martyrs  of  the  Revolution  who  died  in  New  York. 
It  is  stated  that  this  was  erected  by  Trinity  Corporation 
to  prevent  the  city  from  cutting  Pine  Street  through  the 
graveyard,  there  being  some  law  on  the  State's  statute 
books  to  prevent  the  removal  or  injury  of  any  public 
monument  for  purposes  of  highway  improvement. 

The  southwest  corner  of  Rector  Street  was  occupied 
at  one  time  by  a  German  Lutheran  Church,  erected 
about  1 7 io  by  immigrants  from  the  Palatinate  who  had 
been  driven  out  of  their  desolated  country  by  the  armies 
of  Louis  XIV.  The  church  was  burnt  in  the  fire  of  1776, 
but  was  not  rebuilt  on  this  site.  In  1809,  there  were  some 
dissensions  within  the  congregation  of  Trinity,  and  a 
number  of  the  church  members  withdrew  and  erected  a 
new  church  edifice  on  the  site  of  the  "Burnt  Lutheran 
Church."  This  was  Grace  Church,  which,  owing  to  the 
upward  trend  of  population,  moved  to  Tenth  Street  and 
Broadway  in  1846.  During  the  time  it  was  located  at 
Rector  Street,  it  was  as  fashionable  as  any  church  in  New 
York,  and  its  pews  commanded  higher  rents. 

The  permission  granted  the  inhabitants  in  1707  to 
plant  trees  in  front  of  their  premises  had  in  a  few  years 
resulted  in  the  presence  on  Broadway  of  many  beautiful 
trees  which  greatly  enhanced  the  appearance  of  the  street ; 
mention  of  which  is  made  by  many  strangers  who  visited 
the  city.  The  English  officers  called  the  section  in  front 
of  Trinity  "The  Mall. "  This  was  the  place  of  the  parade 
and  the  favorite  lounging  place  of  the  officers  and  other 


62  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


fashionables.  Here  the  band  played,  and  spectators  of 
both  sexes  assembled  on  the  east  side  of  the  street  to 
listen  to  the  music  and  to  watch  the  fashionable  world 
on  promenade. 

Just  above  Trinity,  between  the  present  Thames  and 
Liberty  streets,  stood  the  mansion  of  Etienne  De  Lancey, 
erected  about  the  year  1700.  De  Lancey  was  a  French 
Huguenot  who  had  been  obliged  to  leave  France  at  the 
time  of  the  Revocation  of  the  Edict  of  Nantes  in  1685. 
He  became  a  wealthy  and  influential  merchant  of  New 
York  and  married  into  the  Van  Cortlandt  family.  One  of 
his  sons  was  James  De  Lancey,  who  became  chief  judge  of 
the  province  after  Morris  had  been  removed  by  Governor 
Cosby,  and  lieutenant-governor  under  Clinton;  another 
son  was  Peter,  who  inherited  the  mills  on  the  Bronx  River 
at  West  Farms,  and  a  third  was  Oliver,  who  became  a 
brigadier-general  of  Loyalists  during  the  Revolution. 

In  1754,  Edward  Willett,  one  of  the  tavern  keepers  of 
the  city,  was  attracted  by  the  commanding  position  of 
the  house  and  its  fine  view  of  the  Hudson  and  rented  it 
from  Lieutenant-Governor  James  De  Lancey,  the  inheritor 
from  his  father  Etienne,  and  opened  it  as  a  tavern  under 
the  name  of  the  Province  Arms.  The  New  York  Mercury 
of  May  1 , 1 754,  says :  "Edward  Willet,  who  lately  kept  the 
'  Horse  and  Cart  Inn '  in  this  city,  is  removed  into  the  house 
of  the  Honorable  James  De  Lancey,  Esq.,  Lieutenant-Gov- 
ernor, at  the  sign  of  the  'Province  Arms, '  in  the  Broadway, 
near  Oswego  Market."  The  first  event  to  start  it  on  its 
long  and  brilliant  career  was  a  public  dinner  given  in  1755 
to  the  new  governor,  Sir  Charles  Hardy.  Hardy  had 
been  appointed  successor  to  Sir  Danvers  Osborne,  who 
had  committed  suicide  in  the  garden  of  John  Murray's 
house,  a  short  distance  away  on  Broadway.  The  next 
public  dinner  of  importance  was  that  given  in  1756,  when 


From  Wall  Street  to  the  Commons  63 


the  lieutenant-governor  of  the  province,  the  governors 
and  students  of  the  college,  and  many  prominent  mer- 
chants and  others  gathered  here  and  marched  to  the  laying 
of  the  corner-stone  of  King's  College,  the  ancestor  of 
Columbia  University.  At  the  conclusion  of  the  ceremony, 
they  all  returned  to  the  tavern  where  they  partook  of 
"a  very  elegant  dinner." 

In  May,  1763,  Mr.  George  Burns,  another  of  the  city's 
innkeepers,  moved  from  the  King's  Head  in  Whitehall 
Street  to  the  Province  Arms,  and  the  place  became  known 
as  Burns 's  Coffee  House,  though  still  called  the  Province 
Arms  and  the  City  Arms.  A  month  after  Burns  assumed 
control,  a  lottery  was  drawn  in  the  tavern  for  the  con- 
struction of  a  light-house  on  Sandy  Hook.  Being  so  close 
to  the  Mall  in  front  of  Trinity  churchyard,  the  inn  be- 
came the  favorite  resort  of  the  English  officers,  and  of 
the  fashion  of  the  city,  sharing  its  honors,  however,  with 
another  inn,  also  in  a  De  Lancey  house,  the  Queen's  Head 
at  Broad  and  Great  Queen  (Pearl)  streets,  better  known 
as  Fraunce's  Tavern,  and  still  in  existence  under  the  foster- 
ing care  of  the  Sons  of  the  Revolution.  But  it  is  as  the 
headquarters  of  the  Sons  of  Liberty  that  Burns's  secures 
its  historic  interest  and  from  the  fact  that  notable  meetings 
were  held  there  marking  the  progress  of  revolutionary 
feeling. 

The  first  of  these  meetings  was  on  the  evening  of  Octo- 
ber 31,  1765,  to  take  measures  to  controvert  the  Stamp 
Act,  which  was  to  go  into  effect  the  next  day.  The  mer- 
chants of  the  city  adopted  the  following  resolutions: 
1 ,  To  import  no  goods  from  England  until  the  Stamp  Act 
be  repealed;  2,  to  countermand  all  orders  already  sent  for 
spring  goods;  3,  to  sell  no  goods  from  England  on  com- 
mission ;  4,  to  abide  by  these  resolutions  until  they  shall 
be  rescinded  at  a  general  meeting  called  for  the  purpose. 


64  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


This  constituted  the  first  non-importation  agreement; 
and  when  the  news  of  it  was  sent  to  the  other  colonies, 
they  lost  no  time  in  passing  similar  resolutions.  In  ad- 
dition, a  reward  of  five  hundred  pounds  was  offered  for 
the  detection  of  any  villain  who  should  make  use  of  the 
stamped  paper. 

Another  meeting  took  place  on  the  twenty-fifth  of 
November,  when  the  citizens  assembled  to  renew  the  non- 
importation agreement  and  to  frame  an  address  to  be  pre- 
sented to  the  Assembly,  complaining  of  the  restrictions 
on  trade,  and  especially  protesting  against  the  appeal 
from  the  decision  of  juries,  which  Colden  was  trying  hard 
to  introduce.  This  last,  which  was  so  objectionable  to 
the  inhabitants  of  1765,  has  become  an  integral  part  of 
our  jurisprudence;  and  he  must  indeed  be  a  poverty- 
stricken  client  who  does  not  in  these  days,  either  in  a  civil 
or  criminal  case,  appeal  from  the  decision  of  a  jury. 

The  tavern  was  used  for  other  purposes  than  for  indig- 
nation or  political  meetings  of  the  inhabitants.  It  was 
the  meeting  place  of  St.  Andrew's  and  similar  societies 
and  of  the  governors  of  King's  College,  who  probably 
found  it  more  comfortable  to  transact  business  in  its  genial 
atmosphere  with  a  bottle  of  good  wine  before  them  than 
in  the  cold  halls  of  education.  Musical  concerts  were  also 
given  within  the  walls  of  the  tavern  and  in  the  extensive 
grounds  attached.  In  1777,  these  gardens  saw  a  fatal 
duel  between  Captain  Tollemache  of  the  Royal  Navy  and 
Captain  Pennington  of  the  Coldstream  Guards.  The 
duel  was  with  swords;  and  a  few  days  after  the  hostile 
meeting,  Captain  Tollemache  was  buried  in  Trinity 
churchyard. 

Burns  remained  here  as  host  until  1770,  when  he  was 
succeeded  by  Bolton,  who  came  from  the  Queen's  Head 
(Fraunce's) ;  later,  Hull  assumed  charge  and  had  the  honor 


5 


65 


66  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


of  entertaining  John  Adams  and  his  colleagues,  who  were 
on  their  way  to  the  first  meeting  of  the  Continental 
Congress  in  Philadelphia  in  1775. 

When  the  British  left  the  city  in  November,  1783, 
John  Cape  leased  the  tavern  and  changed  its  name  to 
the  State  Arms ;  and  on  the  second  of  December  a  great 
entertainment  was  given  in  honor  of  Washington  and  the 
return  of  peace.  It  had  various  hosts  until  1792,  when  the 
property  passed  out  of  the  possession  of  the  De  Lanceys 
and  into  that  of  the  Tontine  Association,  which  demolished 
the  old  building  and  erected  the  City  Hotel  on  the  site, 
the  first  building  in  the  city  to  be  roofed  with  slate. 

Dr.  Francis  says:  "So  long  ago  as  1802,  I  had  the 
pleasure  of  witnessing  the  first  social  gathering  of  Ameri- 
can publishers  at  the  old  City  Hotel,  Broadway,  an  or- 
ganization under  the  auspices  of  the  venerable  Matthew 
Carey."  Carey  was  from  Philadelphia  and  one  of  the 
earliest  publishers  in  the  country. 

Until  the  opening  of  the  Astor  House  in  1836,  the  City 
Hotel  was  the  most  famous  in  the  city ;  and  it  did  not  lose 
its  prestige  entirely  until  1850,  when  it  was  torn  down  and 
replaced  by  a  block  of  stores.  In  1828,  the  building  with 
lots,  taking  up  the  whole  block  between  Thames  and 
Liberty  streets,  was  sold  at  public  auction  for  $123,000; 
in  1833  it  was  damaged  by  fire.  The  hotel  was  famous 
not  only  for  its  excellent  fare  and  service,  but  more  es- 
pecially for  the  banquets  that  were  held  there  and  for  the 
distinguished  men  who  were  entertained.  During  the 
War  of  1 8 12,  on  the  twenty-sixth  of  December  of  that 
year,  a  great  banquet,  at  which  five  hundred  gentlemen 
sat  down,  was  given  to  the  victorious  naval  commanders, 
Decatur,  Hull,  and  Jones.  Later,  others  were  similarly 
honored.  On  May  30,  1832,  upon  Irving's  return  from 
abroad,  he  was  tendered  a  banquet  with  Pnilip  Hone  in  the 


From  Wall  Street  to  the  Commons  67 


chair.  The  latter  describes  it  as  "  a  regular  Knickerbocker 
affair."  On  February  18,  1842,  during  the  first  visit  of 
Charles  Dickens  to  this  country  he  was  entertained  at 
dinner  at  the  City  Hotel,  with  Washington  Irving  in  the 
chair  as  toastmaster.  There  were  no  clubs  in  those  early 
days;  but  the  leading  hotels,  the  City  and  Washington 
Hall,  had  their  own  coteries  of  evening  visitors  who  gath- 
ered for  social  intercourse  and  for  discussion  of  affairs  in 
which  they  were  interested.  On  June  17,  1836,  Colonel 
"Nick"  Saltus  as  president  formed  the  Union  Club,  the 
first  organization  of  its  kind  in  the  city,  and  quarters 
were  engaged  at  343  Broadway  as  a  club-house,  which 
was  opened  June  1,  1837.  The  Boreel  building  occupies 
the  site  of  the  old  hotel  at  115  Broadway,  and  upon  its 
front  an  appropriate  tablet  has  been  placed  by  the  Holland 
Society. 

The  City  Hotel  was  conducted  by  Willard  and  Jennings, 
the  former  of  whom  was  the  general  factotum  of  the  estab- 
lishment, while  the  latter  looked  after  the  provender  and 
liquid  refreshments,  these  latter  being  of  incomparable 
quality  and  so  famous  that  when  the  hotel  was  dismantled 
the  bottles  remaining  in  the  cellar  were  sold  at  fabulous 
prices.  Willard  was  never  seen  anywhere  except  in  the 
hotel ;  he  was  a  man  of  cheerful  disposition  and  indefatigable 
energy  and  was  possessed  of  so  wonderful  a  memory  that 
he  remembered  every  traveller  who  had  ever  stopped  at  the 
hotel;  and  if  the  same  guest  were  to  visit  the  hotel  again, 
Willard  could  at  once  greet  him  by  name,  tell  where  he 
was  from,  his  business,  and  the  room  he  had  occupied. 
There  is  a  well  authenticated  anecdote  that  when  Billy 
Niblo  moved  from  Pine  Street  and  opened  his  suburban 
"Garden,"  many  of  his  old  customers  were  invited  to  be 
present  at  the  opening.  Willard  neither  accepted  nor  de- 
clined the  invitation;  and  on  the  appointed  evening  a 


68  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


number  of  the  bon  vivants  of  the  town  waited  upon  him  to 
escort  him  to  Niblo's.  After  bustling  about  and  looking 
into  all  sorts  of  places  for  a  while,  he  announced  to  his 
friends  that  he  could  not  accompany  them  as  he  had  no  hat, 
and  that  some  one  had  taken  an  old  beaver  which  had  been 
lying  about  for  years  and  which  he  claimed  was  his.  A 
hat  was  procured  from  Charles  St.  John,  the  celebrated 
hatter,  whose  place  was  directly  opposite,  and  the  party 
sallied  forth  with  the  best-known  man  in  the  city,  who, 
strange  to  relate,  would  have  been  compelled  to  ask  his 
way  if  he  had  gone  more  than  a  block  from  the  City  Hotel. 

North  of  Trinity  churchyard  is  the  land  formerly 
belonging  to  Jan  Jansen  Damen,  two  large  portions  of 
which  came  into  the  possession  of  Olaff  Stevenson  Van 
Cortlandt  and  Tunis  Dey  about  the  time  that  the  English 
took  the  colony  from  the  Dutch.  The  properties  were 
divided  up  by  the  heirs  of  Van  Cortlandt  and  Dey  and 
sold  as  building  lots,  the  first  about  1733,  and  the  latter 
about  ten  years  later.  Broadway  was  regulated  from 
Dey  to  Fulton  Street  in  1760.  In  1745,  a  lot  at  the  south- 
west corner  of  Dey  Street  sold  for  seventy-five  pounds ; 
in  1770,  a  lot  near  this  sold  for  three  hundred  and  eighty 
pounds,  which  shows  that  the  land  in  this  vicinity  was 
becoming  more  desirable  and  increasing  in  value;  yet  in 
1785,  just  after  the  Revolution,  Alderman  Bayard  sold 
full-sized  lots  at  auction  on  Broadway  below  Fulton  Street 
for  twenty-five  dollars ;  but  the  price  being  so  low,  the  sale 
was  stopped.  Of  the  houses  that  occupied  this  land  noth- 
ing is  known,  as  they  were  destroyed  in  the  fire  of  1776. 
Those  erected  in  their  places  at  first  were  of  a  temporary 
character;  but  about  1790  the  street  began  to  be  lined  by 
elegant  brick  mansions,  occupied  by  the  wealthiest  and 
most  fashionable  families  of  the  city.  Broadway  held 
this  character  of  a  select,  residential  neighborhood  until 


70 


The  World's  Greatest  Street 


about  1 840,  when  business  began  to  creep  in  and  the  resi- 
dents moved  farther  up  the  street  and  to  other  sections. 

What  a  change  has  come  over  Broadway  in  the  past 
twenty-five  years!  Where  these  private  mansions  of  the 
wealthy  once  stood  now  rise  those  marvels  of  engineering 
skill,  the  great  office  buildings  of  the  present.  Here  and 
there  are  a  few  of  the  more  modest  buildings  still  standing, 
sandwiched  in  between  their  huge  neighbors  and  looking 
to  the  eyes  of  the  preserlt  generation  to  be  sadly  out  of 
place.  It  will  not  be  long  before  they,  too,  disappear;  and 
coming  generations  will  scoff  at  the  idea  that  upon  these 
sites  once  stood  three  or  four  story  buildings  with  exten- 
sive grounds  sloping  gently  down  to  the  bank  of  the  Hud- 
son. In  this  wilderness  of  brick  and  stone  there  still  stand 
the  oases  of  Trinity  and  St.  Paul's  churchyards,  of  such 
enormous  value  that  the  time  may  come  when  they,  too, 
may  have  to  go  for  sacrifice  upon  the  altar  of  business. 
May  that  time  be  afar  off —  they  are  too  rich  in  historic 
associations  to  be  treated  as  ordinary  land. 

About  1874,  there  was  established  on  the  top  of  the 
Western  Union  Telegraph  office  at  the  corner  of  Dey 
Street,  then  one  of  the  tallest  and  most  prominent  buildings 
in  the  city,  a  time  ball,  which  was  dropped  at  noon  by 
means  of  telegraphic  connection  with  the  Naval  Observa- 
tory in  Washington.  This  was  of  inestimable  service  to  the 
masters  of  vessels  in  the  harbor,  who  were  thus  enabled 
to  compare  and  adjust  their  ship  chronometers;  and  the 
inhabitants  of  the  city  set  their  watches  by  it.  It  was 
no  unusual  sight  to  see  hundreds  of  faces  turned  anxiously 
upward  about  twelve  o'clock,  their  owners,  with  watch 
in  hand,  waiting  for  the  signal  of  noon.  The  ball  is  still 
dropped,  but  the  erection  of  so  many  high  buildings  be- 
tween the  harbor  and  the  Western  Union  has  lessened  its 
value  to  mariners.    In  consequence,  the  Hydrographic 


From  Wall  Street  to  the  Commons  71 


Office  has  been  experimenting  for  some  time  with  a  time 
light  to  be  placed  on  the  tower  of  the  Metropolitan  Life 
building  at  Madison  Square.  As  the  light  will  be  seven 
hundred  feet  above  the  street  and  will  be  visible  for  twenty 
miles,  it  is  expected  that  the  old  usefulness  of  the  time 
signal  to  mariners  will  be  restored. 

In  1840,  there  were  still  living  several  people  who  re- 
membered when  the  site  of  St.  Paul's,  between  Fulton 
and  Vesey  streets,  was  a  wheat  field.  The  church  edifice, 
or  more  properly,  chapel,  was  erected  by  Trinity  Corpo- 
ration upon  part  of  its  farm  in  1765,  and  opened  the  follow- 
ing year  when  the  Rev.  Mr.  Auchmuty  preached  the 
dedication  sermon.  It  is  one  of  the  three  buildings  of  a 
public,  or  semi-public,  character,  dating  from  pre-Revolu- 
tionary  days  that  still  stand  upon  the  island  of  Manhat- 
tan.* During  the  great  fire  of  1776  it  was  saved  by  the 
comparative  flatness  of  its  roof  which  permitted  people 
to  stay  upon  it  and  extinguish  the  burning  brands  which 
otherwise  would  have  set  it  on  fire. 

After  his  inauguration  in  1789  Washington  attended 
the  service  at  St.  Paul's  given  in  honor  of  the  occasion; 
and  as  Trinity  was  still  in  ruins,  he  continued  to  attend 
St.  Paul's  during  the  time  New  York  was  the  capital 
of  the  country.  Governor  George  Clinton  of  New  York 
also  attended  services  at  the  same  place,  and  the  pews 
occupied  by  these  distinguished  men  on  opposite  sides 
of  the  church  are  appropriately  marked  by  mural  tablets, 
one  bearing  the  coat  of  arms  of  the  United  States,  and  the 
other,  that  of  New  York.  Within  the  churchyard  the 
visitor  can  find  upon  the  tombstones  many  of  the  historic 
names  of  the  city.    This  yard  is  a  favorite  resort  of  many 

*  The  others  are  Fraunce's  Tavern  at  the  corner  of  Broad  and  Pearl 
streets,  and  the  Roger  Morris,  or  "Jumel, "  mansion  on  Washington 
Heights. 


72  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


of  the  women  clerks  of  the  down-town  district  who  come 
here  with  book  and  luncheon  on  the  hot  days  of  summer 
and  pass  the  noon  hour  in  the  shade  and  coolness  of  the 
trees. 

Upon  the  Broadway  front  of  the  church  is  a  mural 
tablet  to  the  memory  of  that  gallant  Irishman  and  soldier, 
Major- General  Richard  Montgomery,  one  of  the  earliest 
victims  of  the  Revolution.  He  was  killed  in  the  assault 
upon  Quebec,  December  31,  1775.  His  body  was  re- 
covered by  the  British  commander,  Sir  Guy  Carleton, 
and  buried  with  appropriate  honors.  In  1818,  the  State  of 
New  York  caused  his  remains  to  be  removed  to  St.  Paul's 
from  Quebec  with  high  honors,  and  the  United  States 
erected  the  tablet.  Montgomery  had  been  an  officer  of 
the  British  army  and  had  been  at  the  siege  of  Quebec 
under  Wolfe.  His  prospects  of  advancement  being  poor, 
he  resigned  from  the  army  and  came  to  America,  first 
settling  at  Kingsbridge.  He  married  Janet  Livingston, 
and  thus  became  allied  with  one  of  the  most  powerful 
families  of  the  province.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  Revo- 
lution he  was  made  a  brigadier-general  and  was  ordered  as 
second  in  command  to  Schuyler  in  the  Canadian  expedi- 
tion of  1775.  Owing  to  Schuyler's  illness,  the  command 
devolved  upon  Montgomery,  who  was  made  a  major- 
general  before  the  fatal  assault  upon  the  citadel  of  Quebec. 
Upon  the  bold  promontory  of  Cape  Diamond,  one  can 
read  from  the  river  St.  Lawrence  a  sign  maintained  by 
the  Canadians,  "Here  Montgomery  fell,  December  31, 

1775." 

On  the  east  side  of  the  thoroughfare  above  Wall  Street, 
the  same  conditions  prevailed  as  below  the  latter  street. 
Among  the  hotels  were  the  Tremont  Temperance  House 
at  Number  no,  the  New  York  Athenaeum  established  in 
1824  at  the  corner  of  Pine  Street,  and  the  National  Hotel 


74  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


established  in  1825  at  Number  112,  corner  of  Cedar  Street. 
The  name  of  William  Cullen  Bryant  is  attached  to  the 
highway  in  the  fact  that  in  his  earlier  days  he  edited  the 
New  York  Review  and  Athenaeum,  whose  office  was  in 
the  building  at  the  corner  of  Broadway  and  Pine  Street, 
and  for  fifty-two  years  he  was  the  editor  of  the  New  York 
Evening  Post,  located  in  its  later  days  and  at  present  at 
the  corner  of  Fulton  Street  and  Broadway. 

The  Equitable  Life  Insurance  building,  opposite  Trin- 
ity, may  be  considered  as  the  pioneer  of  the  modern  high 
office  buildings.  It  was  erected  in  1870,  and  for  many 
years  afterwards  the  United  States  Weather  Bureau 
had  its  quarters  on  the  roof.  In  the  course  of  time,  the 
building  was  over-topped  by  its  neighbors,  and  the  bureau 
found  lodgment  in  the  tower  of  the  Manhattan  Life  In- 
surance building  at  a  height  of  three  hundred  and  fifty-one 
feet  above  the  street.  In  1887,  several  additional  stories 
were  added  to  the  Equitable  Building. 

The  earliest  printing-press  in  the  city  was  set  up  in 
Hanover  Square,  and  here  Gaines,  Weymouth,  and  Riv- 
ington  located  and  issued  their  journals.  Among  earlier 
publishers  and  booksellers  in  the  thirties  was  Jonathan 
Leavitt,  in  the  two  story  building  at  the  corner  of  Broad- 
way and  John  Street.  Leavitt's  brother-in-law  was 
Daniel  Appleton,  who  came  from  the  dry-goods  trade 
to  take  care  of  the  wholesale  part  of  the  book  business, 
and  who,  in  1825,  started  at  200  Broadway  the  great 
publishing  house  which  bears  his  name.  T.  &  J.  Swords 
were  "the  ancient  Episcopal  publishers  in  Broadway," 
whose  imprint  may  be  found  as  early  as  1792.  Elam  Bliss 
catered  to  the  reading  public  from  his  shop  on  the  site  of 
the  Trinity  buildings  and  was  the  publisher  of  the  Talis- 
man, the  first  of  the  annuals,  whose  editors  were  Bryant, 
Verplanck,  and  Robert  C.  Sands.    G.  &  C.  Carvell,  the 


From  Wall  Street  to  the  Commons  75 


English  successors  of  the  more  famous  Eastburn,  were 
on  the  corner  of  Wall  Street  and  Broadway  and  had  the 
most  extensive  retail  trade  in  the  city,  their  place  being 
the  resort  of  the  literati  equally  with  that  of  Bliss  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  street.  On  the  first  of  January,  1833, 
the  first  number  of  the  Knickerbocker  Magazine  was  issued 
from  its  office  on  Broadway  under  the  editorship  of  Charles 
Fenno  Hoffman,  to  whose  sister  Washington  Irving  was 
engaged  to  be  married;  her  untimely  death  and  the  grief 
of  it  kept  Irving  a  bachelor  all  his  life.  Hoffman  was 
editor  for  a  few  months  only,  giving  up  the  position  on 
account  of  ill  health  and  being  succeeded  by  Lewis  Gay- 
lord  Clark,  who  conducted  the  magazine  for  over  a  score 
of  years. 

In  Jones  and  Newman's  Pictorial  Directory  of  New 
York,  1848,  the  following  booksellers  are  given  on  Broad- 
way: east  side,  D.  Appleton  &  Co.,  202;  Bangs,  Richards 
&  Piatt  (auctioneers) ,  204 ;  Stringer  &  Townsend,  222  (all 
these  below  the  Park) ;  and  William  Rudde  at  322  whose 
sign  reads  "Homeopathic  Medicines  and  Books."  On 
the  west  side  were  Stanford  &  Swords,  139;  G.  P.  Putnam, 
J55;  John  Wiley,  161;  Cooley,  Keese  &  Hill  (auctioneers), 
191;  Leavitt,  Trow  &  Co.,  at  the  same  number;  Mark 
H.  Newman  &  Co.,  199;  Clark,  Austin  &  Co.,  205; 
Charles  S.  Francis  &  Co.,  253;  Carter  &  Brothers,  285; 
and  Beraud  &  Mondon,  315,  immediately  south  of  the 
entrance  of  the  New  York  Hospital.  The  picture 
of  their  place  of  business  reads  "Publishers  of  Foreing 
Books,"  probably  a  misspelling  on  the  part  of  Jones  & 
Newman.  The  names  of  many  of  these  booksellers  still 
appear  in  New  York  firms. 

In  the  Croaker  Papers  (1819)  by  Halleck  and  Drake, 
we  run  across  several  Broadway  notables  in  one  verse  of 
the  Ode  to  Fortune. 


76  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


The  horse  that  once  a  week  I  ride, 

At  Mother  Dawson's  eats  his  fill; 
My  books  at  Goodrich's  abide, 

My  country-seat  is  Weehawk  hill; 
My  morning  lounge  is  Eastburn's  shop, 

At  Poppleton's  I  take  my  lunch, 
Niblo  prepares  my  mutton-chop, 

And  Jennings  makes  my  whiskey-punch. 

Robert  Dawson  was  the  keeper  of  a  livery  stable  at 
Number  9,  Dey  Street,  just  off  Broadway ;  A.  T.  Goodrich 
&  Co.  were  booksellers  at  the  corner  of  Broadway  and 
Cedar  Street,  who  kept  a  popular  circulating  library; 
James  Eastburn  &  Co.  were  publishers  and  booksellers  at 
the  corner  of  Broadway  and  Pine  Street,  whose  "rooms" 
were  the  favorite  resort  of  men  of  letters  and  of  leisure ; 
Mrs.  Poppleton  kept  a  fashionable  confectionery  shop  at 
206  Broadway ;  Niblo  was  then  at  William  and  Pine  streets, 
and  Chester  Jennings  was  mine  host  of  the  City  Hotel. 
Another  popular  shop  was  that  referred  to  elsewhere  by 
the  poets  as  "  Cullen's  Magnesian  Shop. "  It  was  located 
at  the  corner  of  Park  Place  and  sold  ice-cream  and  soda- 
water  ;  it  was  the  most  highly  embellished  shop  of  its  kind 
in  the  city. 

During  the  first  decade  of  the  nineteenth  century, 
James  Sharpless,  the  English  portrait  painter,  was  to  be 
seen  on  Broadway;  and  at  a  later  period,  John  Trumbull, 
the  distinguished  American  historical  painter.  One  of  the 
"roasts"  administered  by  the  Croakers  was  against  Trum- 
bull's famous  picture  of  the  Signing  of  the  Declaration 
of  Independence,  the  particular  object  of  the  attack  being 
the  "woodiness"  of  the  Signers,  all  drawn,  apparently, 
whether  seated  or  standing,  from  the  same  model. 

Secretary  Van  Tienhoven's  plantation  lay  above 
Maiden  Lane  to  a  point  about  midway  between  Fulton 


From  Wall  Street  to  the  Commons  77 


and  Ann  streets,  and  comprised  about  sixteen  acres  of 
land.  It  was  decreed  in  1674  that  the  process  of  tanning 
constituted  a  nuisance,  and  all  engaged  in  that  industry 
were  required  to  move  their  pits  beyond  the  city  wall. 
Within  a  year  or  two,  four  shoemakers  who  did  their  own 
tanning  bought  what  was  virtually  Van  Tienhoven's  old 
grant,  which  became  known  in  consequence  as  the  "shoe- 
makers' land. "  In  1696,  Maiden  Lane  was  regulated,  and 
the  land  of  the  shoemakers  was  cut  up  into  one  hundred 
and  sixty  lots.  Eventually,  they  had  to  move  their  busi- 
ness to  the  neighborhood  of  the  Freshwater  pond  and  to 
Beekman's  swamp,  at  which  latter  place  are  gathered  the 
dealers  in  hides  and  leather  of  the  present. 

In  an  advertisement  of  1763,  notice  is  given  that  "The 
Bake  House  at  the  corner  of  John  Street  is  for  sale ;  it 
has  a  bolting  house  and  a  new  cistern  annexed,  and  is  for 
sale  by  G.  Van  Bomel. "  When,  in  1775,  at  the  corner 
of  Broad  and  Beaver  streets,  Marinus  Willett  stopped  the 
British  soldiers  from  removing  the  arms,  he  mounted  the 
first  cart  and  drove  to  the  place  of  Abraham  Van  Wyck, 
a  staunch  Whig,  who  kept  a  ball-alley  at  the  corner  of  John 
Street  and  Broadway  and  deposited  the  captured  arms  in 
Van  Wyck's  yard.  This  was  a  favorite  place  with  the 
Sons  of  Liberty ;  later,  when  the  Hearts  of  Oak  were  formed, 
the  arms  were  used  for  equipping  these  rather  irregular 
militia.  An  advertisement  of  1769  reads:  "Mary  Mor- 
comb,  mantua  maker  from  London,  at  Isaac  Garniers, 
opposite  to  Battoc  Street  in  the  Broadway,  makes  all 
sorts  of  negligees,  Brunswick  dresses,  gowns,  and  other 
apparel  of  ladies,  also  covers  Umbrellas  in  the  neatest 
manner. " 

For  many  years  after  the  Revolution,  New  York  had 
visitations  of  that  dread  West  Indian  disease,  yellow  fever. 
When  the  fever  was  in  the  city  the  residents  used  to  flee 


78  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


to  their  country  places,  to  Greenwich,  or  to  other  suburban 
villages.  There  were  epidemics  in  1791,  1795,  and  1798, 
this  last  being  the  most  virulent  and  carrying  off  2086 
persons,  exclusive  of  those  who  fled  from  the  city.  The 
population  at  that  time  was  fifty-five  thousand.  During 
the  height  of  the  disease  the  churches  were  closed,  business 
was  at  a  standstill,  and  the  banks  moved  their  offices  to 
Bank  Street  (whence  the  name)  in  Greenwich  Village. 
The  post-office  was  removed  to  the  house  of  Dr.  James 
Tillary  on  the  corner  of  Broadway  and  Wall  Street,  and  the 
citizens  came  from  their  retreats  in  the  country  between 
the  hours  of  nine  a.m.  and  sundown,  during  which  time 
physicians  said  it  was  safe  to  visit  the  city.  There  were 
several  outbreaks  of  fever  in  later  years,  but  the  establish- 
ment of  the  quarantine  at  Staten  Island  in  1801  has  for 
many  years  effectually  prevented  anything  but  sporadic 
cases. 

A  visitor  of  1 845  speaks  of  the  noise  and  confusion  on 
Broadway  at  that  time.  In  the  writer's  boyhood,  it  was 
almost  as  much  as  his  small  life  was  worth  to  cross  Broad- 
way below  Fulton  Street.  I  think  the  truck  drivers  pur- 
posely went  out  of  their  way  to  enjoy  the  sights  along  the 
great  thoroughfare  and  to  show  to  pedestrians  and  their 
fellow  drivers  and  those  on  the  buses  their  capabilities  in  the 
way  of  what  Mrs.  Gamp  would  have  called  "langwidge," 
when  their  progress  was  blocked  by  other  carts .  So  danger- 
ous was  the  passage  at  Fulton  Street,  although  there  were 
in  those  days  no  surface  cars  to  increase  the  difficulties  of 
getting  across,  that  an  iron  bridge  called  the  Loew  bridge, 
was  erected  at  this  point  across  Broadway.  It  was  com- 
pleted in  May,  1867;  but  pedestrians  preferred  the 
dangers  of  the  street  to  the  task  of  climbing  the  stairs — 
this  was  before  the  days  of  the  elevated  railroads — and  so 
the  bridge  was  removed  in  1868.    The  widening  of  other 


From  Wall  Street  to  the  Commons  79 

streets  convenient  to  the  water  front,  and  the  establishment 
of  the  "Broadway  Squad"  of  police,  six  footers,  every  one 
of  them,  and  the  present  traffic  squad  have  lessened  the 
dangers  to  a  minimum;  though  it  is  still  difficult  for 
him  who  is  not  born  a  New  Yorker,  or  who  has  not  been 
caught  early  and  learned  the  ins  and  outs  of  metropolitan 


THE  LOEW   BRIDGE  AT  FULTON  STREET  AND  BROADWAY 


life,  to  cross  Broadway  between  the  Bowling  Green  and 
Manhattan  Street. 

Broadway  has  been  the  favorite  route  of  parades  and 
processions  from  the  earliest  times  until  within  the  last 
decade.  We  have  already  mentioned  Colve's  march  to 
the  fort  in  1673,  the  evacuation  of  the  city  by  the  British 
in  1783,  and  the  Hamilton  parade  of  1789.  Washington 
Irving  gives  in  his  amusing  Knickerbocker1  s  History  of 
New  York  the  following  description  of  the  gathering  of 
Stuyvesant's  warriors  for  the  attack  upon  the  Swedes  on 
the  Delaware : 


8o  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


But  I  refrain  from  pursuing  this  minute  description,  which 
goes  on  to  describe  the  warriors  of  Bloemen-dael,  and  Wee- 
hawk,  and  Hoboken,  and  sundry  other  places,  well  known  in 
history  and  song — for  now  do  the  notes  of  martial  music  alarm 
the  people  of  New  Amsterdam,  sounding  afar  from  the  walls 
of  the  city.  But  this  alarm  was  in  a  little  while  relieved,  for 
lo,  from  the  midst  of  a  vast  cloud  of  dust,  they  recognized  the 
brimstone-colored  breeches  and  splendid  silver  leg  of  Peter 
Stuyvesant,  glaring  in  the  sunbeams;  and  beheld  him  approach- 
ing at  the  head  of  a  formidable  army,  which  he  had  mustered 
along  the  banks  of  the  Hudson.  And  here  the  excellent  but 
anonymous  writer  of  the  Stuyvesant  manuscript  breaks  out 
into  a  brave  and  glorious  description  of  the  forces,  as  they  de- 
filed through  the  principal  gate  of  the  city,  that  stood  by  the 
head  of  Wall-street. 

First  of  all  came  the  Van  Bummels,  who  inhabit  the  pleasant 
borders  of  the  Bronx.  .  .  .  Close  in  their  rear  marched  the 
VanVlotens.of  Kaatskill.  .  .  .  After  them  came  the  Van  Pelts, 
of  Groodt  Esopus.  .  .  .  Then  the  Van  Nests,  of  Kinderhoeck. 
.  .  .  Then  the  Van  Higginbottoms,  of  Wapping's  creek.  .  .  . 
Then  the  Van  Grolls,  of  Anthony's  Nose.  .  .  .  Then  the 
Gardeniers,  of  Hudson  and  thereabouts.  .  .  .  Then  the  Van 
Hoesens,  of  Sing  Sing.  .  .  .  Then  the  Couenhovens,  of  Sleepy 
Hollow.  .  .  .  Then  the  Van  Kortlandts,  who  lived  on  the  wild 
banks  of  the  Croton.  .  .  .  ThentheVanBunschotens,of  Nyack 
and  Kakiat.  .  .  .  Then  the  Van  Winkles,  of  Haerlem.  .  .  . 
Lastly  came  the  knickerbockers,  of  the  great  town  of 
Scaghticoke.  .  .  .  These  derive  their  name,  as  some  say,  from 
Knicker,  to  shake,  and  Beker,  a  goblet,  indicating  thereby 
that  they  were  sturdy  toss-pots  of  yore;  but  in  truth,  it  was 
derived  from  Knicker,  to  nod,  and  Boeken,  books;  plainly 
meaning  that  they  were  great  nodders  or  dozers  over  books — 
from  them  descends  the  writer  of  this  history. 

Such  was  the  legion  of  sturdy  bush-beaters  that  poured  in 
at  the  grand  gate  of  New  Amsterdam;  the  Stuyvesant  manu- 
script indeed  speaks  of  many  more,  whose  names  I  omit  to 
mention,  seeing  it  behooves  me  to  hasten  to  matters  of  greater 


6 


8i 


82  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


moment.  Nothing  could  surpass  the  joy  and  martial  pride 
of  the  lion-hearted  Peter  as  he  reviewed  this  mighty  host  of 
warriors,  and  he  determined  no  longer  to  defer  the  gratification 
of  his  much-wished-for  revenge  upon  the  scoundrel  Swedes  of 
Fort  Casimir.* 

Among  the  parades  which  have  taken  place  since  1800, 
we  may  mention  the  Hudson  bi-centenary  in  1809,  the 
reception  to  Lafayette  in  1824,  that  in  honor  of  the  revo- 
lution in  France  in  1830,  the  admission  of  Croton  water  in 
1842,  the  reception  to  the  Hungarian  patriot  Kossuth  in 

1 85 1 ,  the  processions  in  honor  of  Alfred  Edward,  Prince  of 
Wales  (the  late  Edward  VI.)  and  of  the  first  Japanese 
embassy  in  1861,  the  German  parade  in  1872  at  the  con- 
clusion of  the  war  between  Prussia  and  France,  the  Wash- 
ington centenary  of  1889,  and  the  Columbus  parade  of  1892 
in  commemoration  of  the  four  hundredth  anniversary  of 
the  discovery  of  America.  Among  the  funerals,  some 
of  them  actual  and  some  commemorative,  have  been  those 
of  Hamilton  in  1804,  Montgomery  in  18 18,  Andre  in  1821, 
when  his  remains  were  removed  from  Tappan  to  England, 
President  Monroe  in  1 835,  President  Harrison  in  1840,  Pres- 
ident Taylor  in  1850,  Henry  Clay  and  Daniel  Webster  in 

1852,  General  Worth  in  1857,  President  Lincoln  in  1865, 
General  Grant  in  1885,  and  Governor  and  Vice-President 
George  Clinton  in  1909,  when  his  body  was  brought  back 
to  the  state  for  which  he  did  so  much  after  its  century-long 
rest  in  the  cemetery  at  Washington,  where  he  had  died  while 
vice-president.  In  the  older  days,  there  were  parades  every 
year  upon  the  Fourth  of  July  and  upon  Evacuation  Day, 
November  twenty-fifth.    In  war  times  there  have  been 

*  The  etymology  of  the  names  and  the  description  of  the  peculiarities 
and  characteristics  of  this  valiant  army  of  Dutchmen  are  too  long  to  be 
given  here,  but  they  are  highly  amusing  and  well  repay  reading. 


PETER  STUYVESANT'S  ARMY  ENTERING   NEW  AMSTERDAM  a,*,**.***  ••///./  ritm  y.r*,»  wit-m 


From  Wall  Street  to  the  Commons  83 


the  departure  of  the  troops  and  their  return,  and  innumer- 
able minor  parades;  but  we  must  not  leave  out  the  great 
parades  of  the  merchants  and  business  men  of  the  city  at  the 
time  of  presidential  elections  within  the  last  twenty  years, 
when  as  many  as  one  hundred  thousand  men,  not  soldiers, 
marched  from  the  Bowling  Green  to  Madison  Square. 
The  last  great  parade  was  the  reception  tendered  to  ex- 
President  Theodore  Roosevelt  on  June  18,  1910,  upon  his 
home-coming  after  a  year  spent  in  Africa  and  Europe. 

The  growth  of  the  city  in  area  and  population  has 
caused  the  route  of  the  great  processions  to  be  changed  to  the 
upper  part  of  the  city  from  One  Hundred  and  Tenth  Street 
by  way  of  Central  Park  West,  and  Fifth  Avenue  to  the 
Washington  Arch  at  Fourth  Street.  Now,  Broadway  is 
used  once  a  year  (and  it  nearly  always  rains)  for  the  annual 
parade  of  the  Old  Guard;  and  there  is  a  parade  nearly 
every  day  in  the  year  of  strange  looking  people,  with 
peculiar  dress  and  language,  with  multitudinous  children 
and  boxes  and  bundles,  finding  their  way  from  Ellis  Island 
to  the  tenements  of  the  city — later,  to  become  citizens  of 
the  Great  Republic  and  to  add  to  its  wealth  and  glory. 


CHAPTER  V 


THE  COMMONS,  OR  FIELDS 

ROB  ABLY  no  piece  of  ground  in  the 
city  of  New  York  has  been  the  scene 
of  more  historical  happenings  than 
the  City  Hall  Park.  One  historian 
of  the  city  has  said:  "What  Fan- 
euil  Hall  was  to  Boston,  was  the 
Commons  of  New  York — the  gath- 
ering place  of  the  patriots,  the 
cradle  of  Liberty." 

In  the  old  Dutch  days,  it  was  an  open  and  waste  tract 
of  land,  which,  being  level,  was  called  by  them  the 
Vlacte,  or  Flat.  It  began  as  a  common  cow  pasture  to 
which  the  cattle  of  the  inhabitants  below  the  wall  were 
driven  daily.  It  was  then  almost  square  in  shape,  lying 
between  Ann  Street  on  the  south  and  Chambers  Street 
on  the  north,  with  Broadway  and  Nassau  Street  as  its 
western  and  eastern  boundaries.  The  Collect  pond 
with  the  surrounding  land,  lying  north  of  the  Flat,  was 
also  common  property,  but  was  not  included  in  the 
Fields.  It  must  be  remembered  that  the  Fields  were 
in  use  long  before  the  boundary  streets  mentioned 
above  existed,  even  as  lanes. 

From  the  head  of  Great  George  Street  a  road  found  its 

84 


The  Commons,  or  Fields 


85 


way  to  the  Bowery  Lane  along  the  southern  and  eastern 
sides  of  the  Fields — this  was  the  Heerewegh  of  the  Dutch. 
This  road,  which  afterwards  became  Chatham  Street 
and  Park  Row,  was  the  ancestor  of  the  Boston  Post- 
road,  or  the  Great  Highway  to  Boston.  In  the  time  of 
Governor  Dongan,  the  road  was  laid  out  diagonally 
across  the  Fields,  and  the  triangular  southern  section 
thus  cut  off  was  appropriated  by  the  governor  for  his 
own  use  in  1686.  It  was  used  later  for  many  years  as  a 
place  of  amusement  and  was  called  the  Vineyard. 

The  part  left  of  the  Fields  was  triangular  in  shape 


and  was  bounded  by  Broadway,  Chambers  Street,  and 
Chatham  Street.  When  the  Bowling  Green  was  en- 
closed in  1732,  the  Fields  became  the  open-air  meeting- 
place  of  the  inhabitants  of  the  city,  and  to  it  were 
transferred  the  bonfires,  the  patriotic  celebrations  of  the 
King's  birthday,  Guy  Fawkes's  Day,  and  other  holidays, 
the  indignation  meetings,  Maypole  dances,  and  similar 
occurrences  which  had  been  held  in  the  Bowling  Green. 

In  his  novel  of  Satanstoe,  Cooper  gives  an  account 
of  the  celebration  upon  the  Fields  of  the  old  Dutch 
holiday  of  Pfmgster,  with  its  games,  its  booths,  and  the 
freedom  allowed  on  that  day  to  the  negro  slaves.  But 
Pfmgster  and  New  Year's  day  and  the  other  celebrations 


86  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


of  Dutch  ancestry,  with  the  exception  of  Christmas,  St. 
Nicholas's  Day,  have  fallen  into  disuse,  chiefly  through 
the  fact  that  some  of  them  degenerated  into  orgies. 
The  change  in  our  population  from  Dutch  and  Knicker- 
bocker about  the  middle  of  the  last  century  may  also 
have  affected  the  observance  of  these  ancient  holidays. 
It  is  a  curious  fact  that  Christmas,  the  great  Christian 
holiday,  when  "good  will  toward  men"  is  shown  prin- 
cipally in  the  giving  of  presents  to  relatives  and  friends, 
should  redound  to  the  benefit  of  the  Hebrews,  as  most 
of  our  great  department  stores  are  owned  by  people  of 
that  race.  It  must  be  said,  however,  that  the  practice 
of  gift-giving  at  that  joyous  period  of  the  year  is  not 
limited  to  any  race  or  creed.  The  observance  of  the 
Christmas  holidays  along  the  "  Great  White  Way"  would, 
I  suspect,  astonish  the  ancient  Romans,  could  they  be 
present,  to  see  how  much  further  the  moderns  have  gone 
in  celebrating  their  pagan  feast  of  Saturnalia,  from  which 
our  Christmas  is  derived. 

When  the  Dutch  fleet  appeared  off  the  city  in  1673 
and  demanded  its  surrender,  the  vacillating  conduct  of 
the  English  commander,  Captain  John  Manning,  moved 
the  Dutch  admirals  to  energetic  measures.  Six  hundred 
troops  under  Captain  Anthony  Colve  landed  on  the 
island  north  of  the  wall  and  marched  to  the  Fields,  where 
they  encamped  and  prepared  to  advance  upon  the  city. 
The  terrified  English  commander  sent  three  agents  to 
parley  with  Colve;  but  as  they  had  nothing  definite 
to  offer  in  the  way  of  terms,  Colve  kept  two  of  them  as 
hostages  and  sent  the  third  with  a  peremptory  message 
to  Manning  to  surrender  the  fort  within  a  quarter  of 
an  hour.  The  messenger,  Captain  Carr,  thought  more 
of  his  own  safety  than  he  did  of  delivering  the  message, 
and  so,  having  gained  the  city  within  the  gate,  got  away 


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from  the  island  as  quickly  as  he  could.  At  the  end  of 
the  quarter  hour,  a  Dutch  trumpeter  was  sent  for  an 
answer  to  the  summons  to  surrender  and  was  told  that 
none  had  been  received.  "This  is  the  third  time  they 
have  fooled  us,"  exclaimed  the  exasperated  Colve; 
"they  shall  fool  us  no  more — march." 

The  Dutch  at  once  proceeded  down  Broadway  through 
the  land  gate  without  resistance ;  but  as  they  approached 
the  fort,  they  were  met  by  a  messenger  from  Manning, 
offering  to  make  a  full  surrender  if  the  garrison  were 
allowed  to  march  out  with  the  honors  of  war.  This  the 
Dutch  agreed  to;  but  it  is  greatly  to  their  discredit  that 
they  did  not  keep  to  their  bargain,  for  a  number  of  the 
English  soldiers  were  seized  and  imprisoned,  their  bag- 
gage plundered,  and  many  of  them  were  sent  away  in 
the  Dutch  ships  which  also  carried  their  unfortunate 
commander.  Manning  was  tried  by  court-martial  in 
1674,  after  the  English  recovery  of  the  province,  on 
charges  of  cowardice  and  treachery.  His  defence  was  a 
good  one;  but  he  was  convicted  and  sentenced  to  death, 
commuted  on  account  of  his  influence  at  court  to  having 
his  sword  broken  over  his  head  by  the  public  executioner 
in  front  of  the  fort  and  to  be  incapable  of  holding  any 
civil  or  military  position  under  the  crown.  It  paid  to 
have  "pull"  in  those  days  as  well  as  in  these. 

Under  the  governorship  of  Colve,  everything  assumed 
a  military  character,  as  the  Dutch  were  afraid  the  Eng- 
lish, smarting  under  the  loss  of  this  valuable  province, 
would  make  a  determined  effort  to  recover  it.  The  forts 
and  palisades  were  repaired  and  strengthened,  and  the 
Fields  became  the  place  of  general  drill  and  parade. 
The  city  gates  were  locked  every  night  and  the  keys 
given  to  the  officers  of  the  fort,  while  a  patrol  of  six 
burghers  guarded  each  gate  during  the  night.    At  sun- 


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90  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


rise,  the  gates  were  unlocked  by  the  schout  and  the  keys 
returned  again  to  the  fort. 

It  was  here  on  the  lower  end  of  the  Fields,  in  full 
view  of  his  own  country-house,  that  Jacob  Leisler  and 
his  son-in-law  Milborne  were  executed  on  a  gallows 
especially  erected  for  the  purpose.  The  day  was  in 
May,  1 691,  and  a  cold,  drizzling,  spring  rain  prevailed — 
a  fitting  day  for  such  a  fell  purpose. 

The  place  of  public  execution  was  removed  from  the 
vicinity  of  the  fort  to  the  Fields  in  1725,  and  a  gallows 
stood  until  1755  not  far  from  the  corner  of  Chambers 
and  Chatham  streets.  Many  of  the  victims  of  the 
negro  plot  of  1741  were  executed  here,  some  of  them 
being  burned  to  death.  A  powder-house  was  the  first 
public  building  on  the  Commons — a  safe  place,  as  it  was 
so  far  removed  from  neighbors  in  the  event  of  an  ex- 
plosion. It  was  placed  where  the  old  Hall  of  Records 
stood  for  so  many  years,  opposite  the  Brooklyn  Bridge, 
but  it  was  removed  in  1728  to  an  island  in  the  Collect. 
In  1742,  Joseph  Paulding  leased  a  part  of  the  Fields 
and  built  a  large  brick-kiln,  the  clay  being  dug  out 
from  the  land  nea-  the  Collect.  There  were  also 
several  kilns  erected  for  the  burning  of  oyster  shells  for 
lime. 

In  1734,  the  first  poor-house  was  erected  on  the  site 
of  the  present  county  court-house.  It  was  forty-six 
feet  long,  twenty-four  feet  wide,  and  two  stories  high, 
with  a  cellar — all  of  gray  stone.  It  was  furnished  with 
spinning-wheels,  leather  and  tools  for  shoemaking, 
knitting  needles,  flax,  etc.,  for  the  employment  of  the  in- 
mates. All  paupers  were  required  to  work  under  penalty 
of  mild  punishments,  and  parish  children  were  taught 
the  three  "R's"  and  employed  at  useful  labor.  The 
house  was  also  used  for  the  correction  of  unruly  slaves. 


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A  vegetable  garden  was  laid  out  near  the  house,  and  the 
inmates  cultivated  it  for  the  use  of  the  institution. 

The  Bridewell,  a  prison  for  vagrants,  for  those  guilty 
of  minor  offences,  and  for  those  awaiting  trial,  was  erected 
in  1775,  just  previous  to  the  Revolution.  It  stood  facing 
Broadway  between  that  thoroughfare  and  the  west 
wing  of  the  City  Hall.  It  was  a  two  story  building  of 
gray  stone ;  and  at  the  time  of  the  capture  of  Fort  Wash- 
ington in  November,  1776,  it  was  still  unfinished,  the 
windows  being  unglazed,  and  there  was  nothing  to  keep 
out  the  cold  except  the  iron  bars.  Into  this  cheerless 
and  uncomfortable  building  over  eight  hundred  of 
Magaw's  captured  garrison  were  thrust  on  the  day  of 
their  capture,  November  sixteenth,  and  left  three  days 
without  food  or  fuel.  It  was  used  throughout  the  Revo- 
lution as  a  prison  for  American  prisoners.  The  land 
upon  which  it  stood  had  been  purchased  in  1770  by  the 
Sons  of  Liberty  for  the  erection  of  a  liberty-pole.  After 
the  Revolution,  the  title  to  the  land  was  still  vested  in 
John  Lamb  and  others,  who,  upon  being  asked  by  the 
city  what  he  would  sell  for,  replied,  "For  the  cost,  eighty 
dollars,  and  the  interest."  The  city  agreed,  but  the 
purchase  was  never  consummated.  The  Bridewell  was 
demolished  in  1838,  and  the  stone  of  which  it  was  built 
was  used  in  the  Tombs  prison,  then  in  course  of  construc- 
tion. 

A  more  famous,  or  rather,  infamous,  building  than 
the  Bridewell  also  stood  in  the  Commons,  northeast 
of  the  City  Hall.  The  old  City  Hall  in  Wall  Street 
(erected  in  1699)  had  been  used  as  a  jail  and  debtor's 
prison.  Its  place  was  taken  by  the  New  Jail,  erected 
in  the  Commons  about  1759,  as  in  April,  1758,  there  ap- 
pears the  published  notice  of  the  drawing  of  a  lottery 
to  build  it.    During  the  Revolution,  it  contained  the 


The  Commons,  or  Fields 


93 


office  of  the  Provost-Marshal  Cunningham,  and  thus 
obtained  the  title  of  the  "Provost"  prison.  Here  were 
confined  the  officers  of  the  American  army  and  any  of 
the  leading  patriots  from  civil  life  who  were  so  un- 
fortunate as  to  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  British.  The 
indignities  and  privations  inflicted  upon  his  unhappy 
prisoners  by  Cunningham  and  the  commissary  of  pris- 


From  the  drawing  by  F.  B.  Nichols 

THE  HALL  OF  RECORDS 

oners,  Loring,  constitute  the  most  horrible  chapter  of 
the  Revolution. 

Cunningham  boasted  openly  that  he  had  killed  more 
enemies  of  the  king  than  the  armies  of  Howe,  Clinton, 
Burgoyne,  and  Cornwallis  combined.  If  his  victims 
were  not  killed  outright,  and  it  is  stated  that  many  of 
them  were  deliberately  starved  and  poisoned,  they  were 
so  debilitated,  and  their  constitutions  so  shattered  by 


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their  hardships  that  they  were  physically  ruined  for 
both  civil  and  military  life.  This  was  done  with  several 
objects  in  view.  In  the  event  of  their  deaths,  Cunning- 
ham and  his  creatures  continued  to  draw  the  allowance 
for  their  maintenance;  the  course  of  inhuman  cruelty 
drove  some  of  the  prisoners  into  the  British  ranks  in 
order  to  escape  the  daily  tortures  inflicted  upon  them, 
the  British  holding  out  enlistment  as  an  alluring  bait 
and  surcease  to  their  sufferings;  or,  if  they  did  not  die 
or  enlist,  then  in  the  event  of  their  exchange  their  harsh 
treatment  and  lack  of  food  had  rendered  them  worthless 
as  soldiers.  Of  over  three  thousand  Americans  captured 
at  Fort  Washington  on  November  16,  1776,  but  eight 
hundred  were  reported  as  living  when  an  exchange  of 
prisoners  took  place  on  May  6,  1778,  a  year  and  a  half 
after  their  capture. 

The  Provost  and  the  old  City  Hall  in  Wall  Street 
remained  as  prisons  until  the  evacuation.  An  eye- 
witness, General  Johnson,  thus  describes  what  he  saw 
at  that  time. 

I  was  in  New  York,  November  25  [he  says]  and  at  the 
Provost  about  10  a.m.  A  few  British  criminals  were  yet 
in  custody,  and  O'Keefe  [Cunningham's  sergeant  and  jailer] 
threw  his  ponderous  bunch  of  keys  on  the  floor  and  retired, 
when  an  American  guard  relieved  the  British  guard,  which 
joined  a  detachment  of  British  troops,  then  on  parade  on 
Broadway,  and  marched  down  to  the  Battery,  where  they 
embarked  for  England. 

The  building  was  originally  of  rough  stone,  three 
stories  in  height,  with  dormer  windows  and  a  cupola. 
After  the  return  of  peace,  it  was  again  used  as  a  debtor's 
prison.  In  1830,  it  was  remodelled  by  cutting  off  all 
above  the  second  story  and  covering  it  with  a  roof  of 


The  Commons,  or  Fields  95 

slight  pitch,  sheathed  with  copper;  a  Grecian  portico 
was  added  to  both  northern  and  southern  entrances, 
and  the  sides  covered  with  stucco  in  imitation  of  marble. 
When  it  was  finished,  it  resembled  in  miniature  the 
Greek  Temple  of  Diana  at  Ephesus,  which  had  served 
as  its  model.  The  intention  was  to  render  the  building 
fireproof,  as  the  alterations  were  for  the  purpose  of 
converting  it  into  a  repository  of  the  land  records  of 
the  city  and  county  of  New  York.  In  1832,  before  the 
alterations  were  completed,  cholera  visited  the  city, 
and  the  building  was  used  as  a  hospital.  When  it  was 
completed,  in  1834,  the  offices  of  the  register,  comptroller, 
street  commissioner,  and  surrogate  were  established  in  it ; 
but  in  1869  the  whole  building  was  turned  over  to  the 
register  for  his  sole  use,  the  records  of  the  city  having 
assumed  vast  proportions.  The  "New  Jail,"  or  "Pro- 
vost," was  finally  demolished  in  1904  to  make  way  for 
the  subway  under  the  eastern  side  of  the  park;  and  the 
legal  records  were  transferred  to  the  magnificent  new 
Hall  of  Records  on  the  north  side  of  Chambers  Street. 
Another  building,  occupied  by  the  apparatus  of  the  fire 
department,  stood  at  the  northeast  corner  of  the  park 
for  many  years  and  was  torn  down  at  the  same  time  as 
the  "Provost." 

In  the  last  decade  of  the  eighteenth  century,  the 
Almshouse  and  the  House  of  Correction  still  stood  at 
the  northern  end  of  the  park,  with  the  Bridewell  and 
the  "Provost"  on  either  side.  Between  the  Almshouse 
and  the  Bridewell  was  the  gallows,  which  had  been  re- 
moved in  1755  to  the  vicinity  of  the  Five  Points,  but 
which  was  moved  back  to  the  Commons  in  1784.  In 
1796,  the  old  almshouse  was  so  dilapidated  as  to  be 
unfit  for  further  use,  and  a  new  one  was  built  in  rear  of  it 
on  Chambers  Street,  to  which  the  inmates  were  removed 


96  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


in  1797,  and  the  old  building  was  demolished.  In  18 16, 
another  new  almshouse  was  erected  on  the  East  River 
near  Bellevue  Hospital,  which  was,  in  time,  removed 
to  Randall's  Island.  The  vacated  Chambers  Street 
almshouse  was  like  a  row  of  six  three-story  dwellings. 
It  was  remodelled  after  the  removal  of  the  paupers  and 
called  the  New  York  Institution.  In  18 16,  the  Ameri- 
can Museum  of  John  Scudder  removed  from  Chatham 
Street,  where  it  had  been  since  18 10,  to  the  west  end 
of  the  New  York  Institution. 

It  remains 

To  bless  the  hour  the  Corporation  took  it 

Into  their  heads  to  give  the  rich  in  brains 

The  worn-out  mansion  of  the  poor  in  pocket, 

Once  "the  old  almshouse  "  now  a  school  of  wisdom, 

Sacred  to  Scudder's  shells  and  Dr.  Griscom.* 

Halleck. 

On  March  26,  18 18,  the  first  savings  bank  ever 
operated  in  the  city  was  opened  in  a  basement  room; 
it  was  called  at  first  the  Chambers  Street  Bank,  and  later 
the  Bleecker  Street  Savings  Bank;  it  is  now  at  Fourth 
Avenue  and  Twenty-second  Street.  In  1824,  the  first 
Egyptian  mummy  ever  exhibited  in  this  country  was 
shown  in  the  basement  of  the  building. 

In  colonial  days,  the  British  soldiers  in  the  city  looked 
with  considerable  contempt  upon  the  provincials,  and 
their  officers  often  had  trouble  in  keeping  them  within 
bounds,  as  they  were  habitual  breakers  of  the  public 
peace.  In  1764,  one  of  their  escapades  reached  the  point 
of  being  a  riot.  Having  imbibed  freely  of  rum,  they 
conceived  the  idea  of  freeing  the  prisoners  and  marched 

*  Dr.  John  Griscom  was  a  highly  esteemed  Quaker  physician  who  de- 
livered lectures  on  chemistry  in  his  office  in  the  old  almshouse. 


The  Commons,  or  Fields 


97 


to  the  New  Jail  and  demanded  the  keys  of  the  keeper. 
Upon  his  refusal  to  surrender  them,  the  excited  soldiers 
fired  through  the  door,  grazing  the  ear  of  one  of  their 
officers,  Major  Rogers,  who  was  confined  for  debt  and 
whose  release  was  the  prime  object  of  the  attack.  They 
then  forced  the  door  and  told  the  prisoners  they  were 
free  and  attempted  to  carry  off  their  major  in  triumph. 
The  prisoners  seemed  unwilling  to  leave,  and  the  soldiers 
attempted  to  drive  them  out;  but  the  arrival  of  the  city 
militia  soon  quelled  the  incipient  riot  and  the  ringleaders 
were  arrested.  Upon  their  trial,  they  accused  Rogers 
of  being  the  instigator  of  the  attempt  at  rescue;  but  the 
affair  was  passed  lightly  by,  like  most  similar  affairs  of 
the  British  soldiery. 

In  1763,  Lord  Grenville,  Chancellor  of  the  Exchequer, 
proposed  to  Parliament  to  raise  a  permanent  revenue 
from  the  colonies  by  direct  taxation.  The  principal 
source  of  this  revenue  was  to  be  by  means  of  stamps 
affixed  to  all  mercantile  and  legal  papers,  to  newspapers, 
almanacs,  pamphlets,  etc.  In  addition,  an  army  of 
ten  thousand  men  was  to  be  maintained  in  the  colonies, 
ostensibly  to  protect  them,  but  really  to  coerce  and  over- 
awe them.  Notwithstanding  the  protests  of  the  colonial 
governments,  the  Stamp  Act  was  passed,  March  22, 
1765,  news  of  which  reached  New  York  early  in  April. 
During  the  debate  upon  the  bill  in  the  House  of  Commons, 
Barre  used  the  term  "Sons  of  Liberty"  in  referring  to 
the  American  colonists.  The  term  was  apt,  and  there 
sprung  into  being  throughout  the  colonies  a  number  of 
semi-secret  societies  whose  aim  was  to  oppose  British 
exactions;  though  the  New  York  society  was  really  a 
revival  of  a  similar  club  which  had  been  formed  thirty 
years  before  at  the  trial  of  Zenger  for  libel.  In  July 
they  gave  evidence  of  their  alertness  when  four  fishermen 
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98  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


who  supplied  the  city  markets  were  seized  by  a  press- 
gang  and  sent  on  board  a  British  tender  in  the  harbor. 
The  next  morning  the  captain  of  the  tender  came  ashore 
in  his  barge,  which  was  at  once  seized  by  the  indignant 
people  and  carried  off  to  the  Commons.  The  frightened 
captain  offered  to  release  the  four  men  and  signed  the 
order,  which  was  taken  to  the  ship  by  a  party  of  the 
Sons  of  Liberty  who  returned  with  the  impressed  fisher- 
men; but  in  the  meantime  the  boat  had  been  burnt. 

The  Stamp  Act  was  to  go  into  effect  on  the  first  of 
November;  but  on  October  seventh,  twenty-eight  dele- 
gates from  nine  of  the  colonies  met  in  New  York  at  the 
first  congress  of  the  colonies,  usually  termed  the  "Stamp 
Act  Congress,"  to  protest  against  the  enforcement  of 
the  act.  On  the  night  of  November  first,  there  followed 
the  demonstration  on  the  Commons  and  at  the  fort 
already  described  in  Chapter  II.,  in  which  Colden's 
effigy  was  burned.  The  next  morning  there  was  another 
assemblage  on  the  Commons,  which  resolved  to  march 
to  the  fort  and  demand  the  surrender  of  the  paper;  but 
Colden,  alarmed  at  the  prospect  of  trouble,  announced 
his  intention  to  have  nothing  more  to  do  with  the  stamped 
paper  but  to  await  the  coming  of  the  new  governor, 
Sir  Henry  Moore,  whose  arrival  was  daily  expected. 
This  did  not  satisfy  the  people,  and  on  the  evening  of 
November  fifth,  an  armed  body  of  citizens  assembled 
again  on  the  Commons,  resolved  to  storm  the  fort  and 
take  possession  of  the  hated  paper  by  force.  Colden 
could  get  no  promise  of  assistance  from  Captain  Kennedy 
of  the  ship-of-war  Coventry  then  lying  in  the  harbor,  and 
therefore  gave  the  stamped  paper  into  the  possession 
of  the  mayor  and  corporation  at  the  gate  of  the  fort. 
The  new  custodians  promised  to  be  careful  of  the  pack- 
ages intrusted  to  them  and  to  be  responsible  in  case  of 


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their  injury  or  destruction.  The  city  authorities  and 
the  stamped  paper  were  then  escorted  to  the  City  Hall 
in  Wall  Street,  where  the  paper  was  deposited;  and  then 
the  Sons  of  Liberty  dispersed  quietly  to  their  homes. 

For  fear  that  the  guns  at  the  Battery  might  be  taken 
by  the  Sons  of  Liberty  and  used  against  the  fort,  Colden, 
so  it  was  believed,  caused  some  of  them  to  be  spiked. 
A  few  nights  later  his  effigy,  seated  on  a  spiked  cannon, 
was  burned  on  the  Commons. 

The  new  governor,  Sir  Henry  Moore,  arrived  about 
the  middle  of  November  and  evinced  so  favorable  a 
disposition  towards  the  colonists  that  the  Sons  of  Liberty 
held  a  grand  mass  meeting  on  the  Commons,  where  they 
erected  a  pyramid  and  kindled  a  number  of  bonfires 
in  his  honor.  About  the  middle  of  December  Captain 
Blow  arrived  from  Canada  with  a  stamped  pass  signed 
by  the  governor  of  Canada.  The  pass  was  the  first  piece 
of  the  stamped  paper  that  had  appeared  in  the  city,  and 
was  posted  conspicuously  in  Burns's  Coffee  House.  In 
the  evening  a  procession  was  formed,  bearing  a  gallows 
upon  which  were  three  effigies:  that  of  Lord  Grenville, 
the  author  of  the  act;  that  of  Lord  Colville,  who  had 
tried  to  enforce  it  by  stopping  colonial  vessels,  and  that 
of  General  Murray,  who  had  signed  the  first  piece  of  the 
stamped  paper  which  had  found  its  way  into  the  city. 
The  line  of  march  was  through  the  principal  streets  of 
the  town  and  ended  at  the  Commons — now  the  rallying 
place  of  the  people — where  the  effigies  were  burned. 

On  May  20,  1766,  news  reached  New  York  of  the 
repeal  of  the  act,  and  on  the  following  day,  the  people 
gathered  in  the  Fields  to  show  their  delight  in  every 
possible  way.  Still  further  to  show  their  loyalty  and 
gratitude  to  the  king,  they  assembled  again  on  his  birth- 
day, June  fourth,  and  celebrated  the  event  with  feasting 


The  Commons,  or  Fields  101 

and  drinking.  A  great  pole  with  twelve  tar  barrels  at 
its  top  was  erected,  and  twenty-five  cords  of  wood  were 
placed  at  its  base.  Then,  while  a  salute  of  twenty-five 
guns  was  fired  in  another  part  of  the  Fields,  the  great 
bonfire  was  kindled  and  the  royal  standard  raised  amid 
the  cheers  of  the  crowd.  Still  another  pole  was  raised 
on  this  memorable  day,  bearing  the  inscription,  "The 
King,  Pitt,  and  Liberty" — the  first  liberty-pole,  which 
was  to  serve  as  the  rallying  point  of  the  citizens  for  several 
years,  the  visible  sign  of  the  principle  of  no  taxation 
without  representation. 

This  liberty-pole  stood  not  far  from  the  barracks 
of  the  soldiers  on  the  north  side  of  Chambers  Street. 
On  the  tenth  of  August,  a  party  belonging  to  the  28th 
Regiment  cut  the  pole  down.  The  next  day,  while  the 
citizens  were  assembled  on  the  Commons  preparing 
to  erect  another,  they  were  attacked  by  the  soldiers, 
and  several  of  the  Sons  of  Liberty,  among  whom  were 
Isaac  Sears  and  John  Berrien,  were  severely  hurt.  Though 
complaints  were  made  by  the  citizens,  the  British  officers 
declared  that  the  affidavits  submitted  were  falsehoods 
and  refused  to  reprimand  or  punish  the  offenders. 

A  second  liberty-pole  was  erected  and  the  soldiers 
allowed  it  to  stand  for  a  few  days  and  then  cut  it  down, 
on  September  twenty-third.  Within  two  days,  a  third 
pole  was  raised;  and  this  time  the  pole  was  allowed  to 
stand,  as  the  soldiers  were  restrained  by  the  orders  of 
Governor  Moore,  who  was  believed  to  have  been  the 
instigator  of  the  previous  attacks. 

On  the  eighteenth  of  March,  1767,  the  citizens  assem- 
bled on  the  Commons  to  celebrate  the  anniversary  of  the 
repeal  of  the  Stamp  Act.  The  celebration  aroused  the 
anger  of  the  soldiers,  and  that  night  the  pole  was  again 
levelled  to  the  ground.     The  next  day  the  Sons  of 


102         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Liberty  set  up  another  and  more  substantial  one,  well 
secured  with  iron  bands.  An  unsuccessful  attempt  was 
made  to  destroy  it  that  night.  The  following  night 
another  attempt  to  blow  it  up  (or  down)  with  gun- 
powder was  made,  but  this,  also,  was  unsuccessful. 
Then  the  Sons  of  Liberty  set  a  strong  guard  about  the 
pole ;  and  for  three  successive  nights  attempts  were  made 
to  destroy  it,  but  the  soldiers  were  beaten  off.  The 
peremptory  orders  of  the  governor  compelled  the  soldiers 
to  desist  from  their  attacks,  and  the  pole  stood  undis- 
turbed for  three  years. 

During  these  years,  affairs  were  moving  in  the  di- 
rection of  armed  resistance  to  the  impositions  of  the 
British  Parliament,  and  frequent  were  the  meetings 
on  the  Commons  and  burnings  in  effigy  of  offensive 
individuals.  At  last,  on  January  13,  1770,  attacks  were 
renewed  upon  the  liberty-pole  by  a  party  of  the  16th 
Regiment,  who  attempted  to  blow  it  down  with  gun- 
powder. In  this  they  were  unsuccessful,  and  they  then 
attacked  a  party  of  citizens  in  front  of  Montagnie's 
tavern  in  Broadway  opposite  the  Fields — at  that  time 
the  headquarters  of  the  Sons  of  Liberty.  The  citizens 
were  driven  indoors  and  attempted  to  barricade  them- 
selves from  the  unruly  mob;  but  the  soldiers  broke  in 
with  drawn  swords  and  wrecked  the  building  and  fur- 
niture. In  the  midst  of  the  destruction,  their  officers 
came  up  and  ordered  them  back  to  their  barracks.  On 
the  two  succeeding  nights,  the  attacks  were  resumed 
against  the  pole  without  success;  but  the  third  night, 
the  pole  was  levelled  to  the  ground  and  sawed  into 
pieces  which  were  piled  up  in  front  of  Montagnie's  in 
derision  of  the  patriotic  club. 

This  insult  aroused  the  Sons  of  Liberty;  and  on  the 
evening  of  the  seventeenth,  handbills  were  circulated 


The  Commons,  or  Fields 


103 


calling  a  meeting  that  night  upon  the  Commons.  Three 
thousand  citizens  assembled  and  passed  strong  resolu- 
tions in  regard  to  the  daily  outrages  committed  by  the 
soldiery  and  threatened  to  regard  those  found  outside 
their  barracks  after  roll-call  as  enemies  of  the  city. 
The  next  day  there  began  a  two  days'  conflict  with  the 
soldiers  in  which  several  lives  were  lost.  Since  the 
various  affrays  occurred  in  the  neighborhood  of  John 
and  William  streets — a  locality  known  at  that  time  as 
Golden  Hill — the  conflict  has  been  termed  the  "Battle 
of  Golden  Hill."  It  occurred  two  months  before  the 
Boston  Massacre,  and  it  was  here  that  the  first  blood 
of  the  coming  conflict  was  shed. 

The  Sons  of  Liberty  requested  permission  to  erect 
another  liberty-pole,  but  the  Common  Council  refused 
permission.  While  the  council  was  considering  the  re- 
quest, Lamb  and  several  others  of  the  club  purchased  a 
plot  of  ground  eleven  feet  wide  and  one  hundred  feet 
deep  near  the  site  of  the  former  pole.  Here,  on  February 
6,  1770,  the  last  of  the  liberty-poles  was  raised.  It  was 
a  mast  of  great  length,  sunk  twelve  feet  into  the  ground, 
and  encased  for  two  thirds  of  its  height  with  iron  bands 
and  hoops  firmly  riveted  together.  Amid  the  shouts 
of  the  people  and  the  sound  of  music,  it  was  stepped  into 
its  place.  It  bore  the  inscription,  "Liberty  and  Prop- 
erty," and  was  surmounted  by  a  gilt  vane  bearing  the 
same  inscription  in  large  letters.  This  inscription  was 
not  of  so  loyal  a  tenor  as  that  placed  upon  the  first  pole 
and  shows  how  the  feelings  of  the  people  were  changing. 
The  concluding  paragraph  of  the  handbill  distributed 
by  the  Liberty  Boys  reads  as  follows: 

And  now,  Gentlemen,  seeing  we  are  debarred  the  privilege 
of  Public  Ground  to  erect  the  Pole  on,  we  have  purchased  a 


104         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


place  for  it  near  where  the  other  stood,  which  is  full  as  public  as 
any  of  the  Corporation  Ground.  Your  Attendance  and  count- 
enance are  desired  at  one  o'clock  on  Tuesday  morning,  the  6th 
instant,  at  Mr.  Crommelin's  Wharf,  in  order  to  carry  it  up  to 
be  raised. 

By  Order  of  the  Committee. 
New  York,  February  3,  1770. 

The  Liberty  Boys  had  had  quarters  at  Burns's  and 
also  at  Montagnie's,  both  on  Broadway;  but  the  latter 
was  now  let  to  the  opposite  party  for  the  anniversary 
celebration  of  the  nineteenth  of  March.  Not  to  be 
balked  by  the  action  of  the  recreant  Montagnie,  the 
club  bought  a  house  in  the  Spring  Garden — corner  of 
Ann  Street  and  Broadway,  where  Barnum's  Museum 
stood  long  afterward — and  named  it  Hampden  Hall  in 
honor  of  the  great  English  patriot.  On  the  forty-fifth  day 
of  the  year  (February  fourteenth)  they  marched  to  the 
New  Jail,  where  McDougal,  one  of  their  leaders,  was  in 
prison,  and  in  order  to  compliment  him  gave  forty-five 
cheers,  drank  forty-five  toasts,  and  ate  forty-five  beef- 
steaks. This  number  had  for  them  a  peculiar  significance ; 
for  it  was  on  the  forty-fifth  page  of  the  journal  of  the  As- 
sembly that  the  proceedings  against  McDougal  were 
entered.  On  the  nineteenth  of  March  they  paid  another 
visit  to  their  leader  at  his  place  of  temporary  impris- 
onment. 

A  party  of  British  soldiers,  who  were  on  the  point 
of  leaving  for  Pensacola,  vowed  that  they  would  take 
a  piece  of  the  pole  with  them  as  a  trophy;  and  so,  on 
the  twenty-ninth  of  March,  they  made  another  attempt 
upon  it.  Their  effort  to  unship  the  topmast  was  dis- 
covered and  the  alarm  given.  Upon  the  rallying  of 
the  Liberty  Boys  the  soldiers  retired  to  their  barracks 
where  they  received  reinforcements  and  forced  the 


The  Commons,  or  Fields  105 

patriots  to  retire  to  Hampden  Hall,  which  the  soldiers 
swore  they  would  burn.  The  alarm  bells  were  rung 
and  the  citizens  flew  to  arms;  while  the  British  officers, 
fearing  a  repetition  of  Golden  Hill,  drove  their  men  back 
to  the  barracks.  A  strong  guard  was  placed  about 
the  pole;  and  after  the  departure  of  the  soldiers  on  the 
third  of  May,  the  pole  remained  unmolested  until  1775. 

During  the  anniversary  celebration  of  the  Stamp 
Act  repeal  in  that  year,  Sergeant  William  Cunningham 
and  a  companion  made  an  assault  upon  the  patriots 
gathered  about  the  pole.  They  were  driven  off;  and 
Cunningham,  who  had  been  a  Liberty  Boy  himself 
before  joining  the  army,  was  severely  whipped.  That 
whipping  was  dearly  paid  for  in  the  lives  of  eleven  thou- 
sand American  prisoners  who  died  during  the  British 
occupation  of  the  city  under  the  treatment  of  the  venge- 
ful provost-marshal,  Captain  William  Cunningham. 
One  of  the  earliest  of  his  acts  after  the  occupation  of 
the  city  by  the  British,  in  September,  1776,  was  to  order 
the  liberty-pole  levelled  to  the  ground.  It  probably 
seemed  to  him  a  visible  reminder  of  the  humiliation 
of  the  whipping  he  had  received.  In  1897,  the  Mary 
Washington  Chapter,  Daughters  of  the  American  Revo- 
lution, caused  a  tablet  to  be  placed  in  the  post-office 
to  commemorate  the  erection  and  maintenance  of  the 
liberty-pole  from  1766  to  1776. 

On  the  tenth  of  May,  1770,  Nathan  Rogers,  a  visiting 
Boston  merchant,  was  hanged  in  effigy  on  the  Commons 
for  refusing  to  comply  with  the  non-importation  agree- 
ment. He  then  went  to  Philadelphia,  where  upon  notice 
from  the  New  York  club,  things  were  made  uncomfortable 
for  him  by  the  patriots. 

In  1774,  attempts  to  land  tea  were  made  at  various 
ports  of  the  colonies.    New  York  was  not  left  out  of  the 


io6         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


list  of  towns  to  which  the  consignments  were  ordered; 
and  on  the  eighteenth  of  April,  the  Nancy,  Captain 
Lockyer,  arrived  off  the  city  bringing  a  cargo  of  tea. 
The  Vigilance  Committee,  which  had  intelligence  of  her 
coming,  prevented  any  one  from  landing  except  her 
captain,  and  ordered  the  ship  to  leave  the  port.  On  the 
twenty- second,  the  London,  Captain  Chambers,  arrived. 
Upon  his  assuring  the  Committee  in  the  most  solemn 
manner  that  he  had  no  tea  aboard,  and  as  the  ship's 
manifest  showed  none,  he  was  permitted  to  bring  his 
vessel  up  to  the  city.  After  many  denials,  Chambers 
admitted  he  had  tea  on  board  as  a  private  venture  of 
his  own  without  the  knowledge  of  the  East  India  Com- 
pany. The  citizens  thronged  to  the  wharf  at  which  the 
London  lay ;  and  upon  receiving  word  that  the  Committee 
had  declared  the  tea  confiscated,  they  boarded  the  vessel 
in  broad  day  and  without  disguise.  They  found  eighteen 
chests  which  they  broke  open  and  dumped  the  contents 
into  the  river.  Lockyer  and  Chambers  were  escorted 
to  their  ships  and  virtually  driven  from  the  city,  the 
battery  at  the  liberty-pole  firing  a  salute  in  honor  of 
their  departure. 

On  the  sixth  of  July,  1774,  there  occurred  what  is 
called  the  "great  meeting  in  the  Fields,"  when  an  im- 
mense multitude  gathered  to  denounce  the  Boston 
Port  Bill,  to  open  subscriptions  for  the  suffering  Bos- 
tonians,  to  renew  the  non-importation  agreement,  and 
to  advocate  the  calling  of  a  continental  congress  to 
discuss  the  affairs  of  the  colonies.  It  is  stated  that  the 
meeting  was  addressed  by  Alexander  Hamilton,  then 
seventeen  years  of  age  and  a  student  at  King's  College. 
The  report  of  the  meeting  has  been  fully  told  by  those 
who  took  part  in  it  and  by  the  contemporaneous  writers 
of  the  day,  and  no  mention  is  made  of  this  wonderful 


The  Commons,  or  Fields 


107 


performance  of  Hamilton.  The  only  authority  for  the 
statement  is  that  of  his  son,  John  C.  Hamilton,  in  his 
biography  of  his  distinguished  father ;  and  that  Hamilton 
appeared  on  the  Fields  in  any  other  character  than  that 
of  a  spectator  is  at  least  doubtful.* 

Early  in  April,  1775,  the  man-of-war  Asia,  74  guns, 
arrived  in  the  harbor.  The  troops  in  the  neighborhood 
of  New  York  were  transferred  to  Boston,  and  there  being 
an  insufficiency  of  barracks  there,  requests  were  made  to 
some  of  the  Boston  carpenters  to  construct  the  required 
buildings.  No  one  could  be  found  to  do  it  in  Boston,  and 
an  appeal  was  made  to  the  British  officers  in  New  York. 
Notwithstanding  the  orders  of  the  Sons  of  Liberty 
forbidding  any  New  Yorker  from  complying  with  the 
request  and  declaring  such  a  person  a  traitor  to  his 
country,  a  vessel  was  fitted  out  with  the  necessary  supply 
of  boards  and  straw.  The  news  soon  reached  the  Com- 
mittee of  Safety,  and  a  meeting  was  called  upon  the 
Commons,  which  decided  to  seize  the  vessel  and  prevent 
her  departure.  "King"  Sears  was  the  principal  speaker, 
and  he  advised  the  people  to  arm  and  to  provide  them- 
selves with  twenty-four  rounds  of  ammunition — a  recom- 
mendation that  was  at  once  adopted.  Sears  was  arrested 
for  this  and  carried  before  the  mayor;  but  he  refused 
to  give  bail,  and,  like  McDougal,  he  was  remanded  to 
the  New  Jail.  On  his  way  to  confinement  he  was  rescued 
from  the  constables  by  the  people,  who  bore  him  in 
triumph  through  the  city. 

The  news  of  the  fight  at  Lexington  and  Concord 
reached  the  city  on  Sunday,  April  24,  1775,  and  the 
usual  Sabbath-day  decorum  of  the  streets  of  the  town 
was  disturbed  by  the  excited  groups  which  gathered 

*  See  foot-note  by  Henry  B.  Dawson  in  Scharf's  History  of  Westchester 
County,  i.,  201. 


io8         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


everywhere  to  discuss  the  startling  news.  Early  in 
the  spring  General  Charles  Lee  arrived  with  1200  men 
to  assume  command  of  New  York  for  the  Americans. 
His  troops  were  encamped  on  the  Commons,  while  he 
took  up  his  quarters  at  the  Kennedy  house  at  Number  1, 
Broadway.  This  was  a  bold  act  on  his  part,  as  the 
Committee  of  Safety,  fearing  a  bombardment  of  the  city 
by  the  Asia,  whose  captain  had  threatened  it  in  the  event 
of  American  troops  being  brought  into  the  city,  protested 
strongly  to  Lee  against  his  doing  so. 

After  the  capture  of  Boston  by  Washington,  March 
17,  1776,  he  repaired  in  person  to  New  York  which,  it 
was  thought,  would  be  the  next  object  of  attack  by  the 
British.  On  July  tenth,  dispatches  from  Ph  ladelphia 
announced  the  action  of  Congress  of  July  fourth,  and 
orders  were  at  once  issued  for  the  different  brigades 
of  the  army  to  assemble  on  the  Commons  at  six  o'clock 
on  that  evening.  A  hollow  square  was  formed,  with 
Washington  and  his  staff  on  horseback  in  the  centre, 
on  the  site  of  the  present  fountain  in  the  City  Hall  Park, 
and  there,  amid  close  attention,  the  Declaration  of 
Independence  was  read.  At  its  conclusion,  the  great 
crowd,  both  soldiers  and  civilians,  greeted  the  new-born 
nation  with  enthusiastic  cheers.  A  bronze  tablet  on 
the  City  Hall  commemorates  the  event. 


CHAPTER  VI 

THE  CITY  HALL  PARK 

OST  of  the  small  parks  throughout 
the  city  began  originally  as  potters' 
fields,  where  the  paupers  and  un- 
known dead  were  buried.  The 
northern  part  of  the  Fields  was 
used  in  this  way,  and  across  where 
Chambers  Street  now  is  was  the 
negro  burying-ground  of  colonial 
times.  The  burials  here  were  usually  held  at  night,  when 
the  negro  population  got  together  and  buried  their  dead 
with  weird  rites  and  incantations — relics,  probably,  of 
their  African  origin.  Long  after  the  burying-ground  was 
disused  and  forgotten,  it  was  recalled  to  the  people  of 
a  later  generation  when,  in  digging  a  hole  for  a  lamp- 
post at  the  corner  of  Reade  Street,  several  human  bones 
were  exhumed. 

With  the  restoration  of  peace,  in  1783,  and  the  remark- 
able subsequent  growth  of  the  city,  it  was  found  that  the 
City  Hall  in  Wall  Street  was  inadequate  for  the  needs 
of  the  municipality;  so  it  was  determined  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  nineteenth  century  to  build  a  new  one. 
In  1802,  a  premium  was  offered  for  the  best  plan  for  a 
new  building,  and  the  award  was  made  to  Macomb  and 

109 


1 10 


The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Maugin.  The  site  selected  was  in  the  upper  part  of  the 
Commons,  formerly  called  the  Fields,  and  known  since 
1785,  when  it  was  enclosed,  as  the  Park.  And  the  Park 
it  remained  pre-eminently  until  long  after  Central  Park 
came  into  existence  and  usurped  its  title.  This  first 
fence  about  the  Park  was  made  of  posts  and  rails,  which 
soon  gave  way  to  pickets.  It  was  later  decided  to 
enclose  the  Park  with  an  iron  fence ;  but  as  the  American 
iron-workers  were  not  able  in  those  early  days  to  make 
the  required  fence,  it  was  ordered  from  England.  The 
new  fence  arrived  on  the  last  day  of  the  year  1821,  and 
was  put  up  during  the  following  year.  At  the  lower  end 
of  the  Park,  four  marble  posts  were  erected  as  gateways, 
and  their  tops  were  joined  by  iron  scroll-work  supporting 
lanterns.  The  whole  Park  could  not  have  been  so  fenced 
in,  as  Philip  Hone  says  in  his  diary  under  date  of  May 
15,  1834,  that  the  unsightly  wooden  railings  in  the  Park 
were  removed  and  gave  place  to  chestnut  posts  with  iron 
chains,  which  would  greatly  improve  the  prospect  from 
his  house  opposite  at  Park  Place.  In  1820,  Alderman 
Swartwout  proposed  enlarging  the  Park  by  extending 
it  to  Ann,  Beekman,  and  Nassau  streets  (its  original 
area  up  to  Dongan's  time)  so  as  to  make  it  nearly  square. 
On  the  eighth  of  May,  1827,  four  granite  balls,  taken,  so 
it  was  said,  from  the  ruins  of  ancient  Troy,  were  pre- 
sented to  the  city  by  Captain  John  B.  Nicholson  and 
placed  on  the  tops  of  the  granite  pillars. 

The  corner-stone  of  the  present  City  Hall  was  laid 
by  Mayor  Livingston  on  September  20,  1803;  but  the 
building  was  not  used  until  July  4,  181 1,  and  not  fully 
completed  until  18 12.  The  building  is  of  white  marble 
brought  from  Stockbridge,  Massachusetts,  at  prices  which 
caused  several  of  the  contractors  to  fail,  owing  to  the  lack 
of  cheap  and  convenient  means  of  transportation.  This 


ii2         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


delayed  the  completion  of  the  structure.  The  original 
plans  called  for  a  marble  building;  but  the  matter  was 
put  into  the  hands  of  an  aldermanic  committee  who 
declared  for  freestone  on  account  of  the  expense,  and 
also  decided  to  cut  down  the  size  of  the  edifice.  Upon 
the  solicitations  of  the  architects,  the  building  was 
restored  to  its  first  size;  and  after  the  foundations  had 
been  carried  above  the  ground,  the  committee  consented 
to  the  marble  on  all  but  the  north  side,  which  was  built 
of  brownstone  as  a  matter  of  economy.  The  architects 
showed  that  this  construction  of  marble  would  cost 
the  city  but  $43,750  more  than  for  brownstone.  The 
building  was  erected  by  day's  work,  the  pay  of  the  best 
skilled  mechanics  ranging  from  one  dollar  to  one  and 
a  quarter  a  day.  In  1890,  the  brownstone  was  painted 
white  to  resemble  the  rest  of  the  building,  and  to-day 
it  is  impossible  to  tell  without  the  closest  scrutiny  whether 
it  is  marble  or  not.  The  structure  cost  about  half  a 
million  of  dollars,  and  is  a  contrast  in  the  matter  of  cost 
with  its  near  neighbor,  the  County  Court-house,  which 
cost  over  fourteen  millions. 

There  is  a  story  worth  telling  in  connection  with  the 
construction  of  the  City  Hall  simply  to  show  the  differ- 
ence between  those  days  and  these.  The  builder  was 
obliged  to  draw  the  marble  used  in  the  building  from  the 
sloops  which  brought  it  down  the  North  River.  He 
found  the  charge  excessive,  and  therefore  bought  a  mule 
to  do  the  hauling,  for  which  he  charged  the  city  "to  one 
mule  $22."  After  the  work  was  done,  he  found  the 
mule  more  valuable  than  when  he  bought,  so  he  credited 
the  city  "by  one  mule  $24."  Can  we  of  a  century 
later  imagine  any  one  doing  such  a  thing  now?  Such 
an  act  would  be  sufficient  without  further  evidence  to 
convince  any  sheriff's  jury  or  surrogate  of  the  man's 


8 


ii4         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


insanity.  More 's  the  pity  that  we  have  so  degenerated 
that  the  very  fact  that  a  man  is  doing  something  for  the 
government,  whether  national,  state,  or  city,  is  so  often 
a  warrant  for  dishonesty;  and  this,  too,  with  men  who 
in  their  business  and  social  life  are  thoroughly  con- 
scientious. 

The  City  Hall  is  too  well  known  to  require  description 
here.  It  was  a  beautiful,  symmetrical,  stately  building 
when  first  erected — it  remains  so  to-day,  though  some- 
what dwarfed  by  the  sky-scraping  structures  on  Chambers 
and  other  streets  in  its  rear.  Long  may  it  stand  with 
its  historical  associations  to  mark  the  progress  of  the 
city.  Since  the  formation  of  the  greater  city,  it  has 
become  entirely  too  small  for  the  accommodation  of 
the  offices  of  the  different  departments  of  the  municipal 
government,  and  it  is  now  given  over  to  the  mayor,  the 
Board  of  Aldermen,  and  the  City  Library.  A  new 
municipal  building  is  in  course  of  erection  at  this  writing 
(191 1 )  northeast  of  the  Park  on  Centre  Street,  which, 
it  is  expected,  will  house  the  city  departments  and  save 
the  municipality  many  millions  of  dollars  that  it  now 
pays  for  rent. 

The  "Governors'  Room"  in  the  City  Hall  is  well 
worth  a  visit.  It  contains  the  portraits  of  nearly  all 
the  governors  of  the  State  from  George  Clinton  down  to 
the  present,  the  portraits  of  many  of  the  mayors  of  the 
city,  and  many  articles  of  furniture  and  other  relics 
connected  with  the  first  Federal  Congress,  the  opening  of 
the  Erie  Canal,  and  with  prominent  events  in  the  history 
of  the  city  and  with  prominent  statesmen  and  citizens 
of  the  olden  times.  Upon  his  visit  to  the  city  in  1824, 
Lafayette  was  received  with  distinguished  honors,  and 
during  his  sojourn  in  New  York  held  daily  receptions 
in  the  City  Hall,  where  thousands  of  citizens  waited 


The  City  Hall  Park 


115 


upon  him.  Other  distinguished  foreigners  are  received 
by  the  mayor  in  the  building. 

The  City  Hall  has  borne  its  part  in  all  the  great 
celebrations  of  the  past — the  opening  of  the  Erie  Canal, 
the  admission  of  Croton  water,  the  laying  of  the  Atlantic 
cable,  the  centenary  of  Washington's  inauguration,  the 
Hudson-Fulton  celebration  of  1909,  and  many  others. 
Our  population  is  of  such  a  cosmopolitan  character, 
with  so  many  nationalities  represented,  that  it  was 
formerly  the  custom  to  display  the  flags  of  the  different 
peoples  from  the  City  Hall  upon  their  national  holidays 
or  fete  days.  This  custom  offended  many  of  the  Amer- 
icans of  the  city,  and  it  was  stopped  by  enactment  of 
the  State  legislature,  February  22,  1895,  which  decreed 
that  no  flags  should  be  flown  from  public  buildings 
throughout  the  State,  except  those  of  the  nation,  the 
state,  or  the  municipality.  The  four-faced  clock  in 
the  tower  was  for  over  half  a  century  after  its  installation 
the  standard  by  which  everybody  set  his  timepiece; 
and  "City  Hall  time,"  or  "City  time,"  became  the 
criterion  by  which  the  accuracy  of  a  timepiece  was 
judged,  or  the  moment  of  any  event  determined. 

Among  those  tendered  receptions  at  the  City  Hall 
besides  Lafayette,  were  Clay,  Webster,  and  Lord  Ash- 
burton,  the  British  Minister  who  made  the  Treaty  of 
Washington  with  Webster,  and  who  surrendered  so  many 
disputed  points  to  the  able  American  statesman  that 
the  treaty  was  called  by  the  English  when  they  learned 
its  provisions,  the  "Ashburton  capitulation."  Other 
men  whom  the  city  has  delighted  to  honor  in  the  same 
way  were  the  naval  heroes  of  the  War  of  1812 — Hull, 
Perry,  Jones,  Lawrence,  and  Decatur,  who  were  presented 
with  the  freedom  of  the  city  in  a  gold  box  and  whose 
portraits  were  painted  at  the  expense  of  the  city  and 


n6         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


hung  in  the  City  Hall.  Another  recipient  of  similar 
honors  was  General  Winfield  Scott,  the  hero  of  the 
Mexican  War  and  the  War  of  1812. 

The  most  imposing  celebration  ever  held  in  the  City- 
Hall  or  in  the  Park  was  that  in  jubilation  over  the  ad- 
mission of  Croton  water,  when  the  building  was  beauti- 
fully illuminated  in  a  manner,  so  it  is  said,  that  has  never 
been  surpassed  even  to  the  present.  Another  gala 
occasion  was  the  reception  and  celebration  in  honor  of 
Cyrus  W.  Field  upon  his  second  attempt  to  lay  the  At- 
lantic cable  in  1858,  which  was  partially  successful, 
messages  being  exchanged  between  this  country  and 
England  before  the  cable  broke.  During  the  illumina- 
tion of  the  City  Hall  upon  that  occasion,  the  cupola 
caught  fire  and  was  badly  damaged,  as  well  as  the  top 
story  of  the  building.  For  many  months  afterward, 
the  City  Hall  presented  an  inelegant  and  careless  appear- 
ance with  its  front  boarded  up,  as  repairs  were  not 
started  until  some  time  after  the  fire. 

On  the  twentieth  of  November,  1804,  eleven  gentle- 
men met  in  the  "picture  room"  of  the  City  Hall  and 
formed  the  New  York  Historical  Society,  electing  De 
Witt  Clinton  as  its  first  president;  but  it  was  not  until 
the  celebration  of  the  bi-centenary  of  the  discovery  of 
the  Hudson  in  1809  that  the  influence  of  the  society 
was  felt.  Since  that  time  it  has  grown  apace,  and  has 
done  inestimable  service  in  collecting  and  preserving 
all  kinds  of  material  connected  with  the  nation,  the  state, 
and  the  city. 

At  one  time,  it  was  customary  for  the  Common  Coun- 
cil to  be  served  after  its  meetings  with  tea  at  the  public 
expense.  These  tea  parties  were  pleasant  and  sociable; 
but  in  the  course  of  time,  they  grew  beyond  simple  tea 
parties,  and  the  aldermen  were  served  with  the  best 


The  City  Hall  Park 


117 


that  the  city  markets  afforded  in  the  way  of  fruit,  fish, 
and  game.  Friends  of  the  aldermen,  supporters,  con- 
tractors, and  lobbyists  began  to  drop  in,  and  the  liquid 
refreshments  were  poured  from  less  innocent  vessels 
than  tea-pots.  In  fact,  the  tea  parties  degenerated  into 
orgies,  held  once  a  week  at  the  public  expense,  and 
aroused  so  much  adverse  criticism  on  the  part  of  the 
respectable  portion  of  the  community,  that  Mayor 
Harper  put  a  stop  to  them  in  1839.  They  were  resumed 
in  1852,  when  the  character  of  the  city  government  had 
deteriorated  very  much  from  that  of  a  quarter  of  a  cen- 
tury before. 

In  those  earlier  days,  the  Glorious  Fourth  was  always 
celebrated  with  much  enthusiasm  throughout  the  city, 
and  the  Park  was  the  scene  of  great  gaiety.  Booths  were 
erected  inside  the  railings,  and  here  were  sold  roast  pig 
(rather  heavy  diet  for  July  fourth) ,  egg-nog,  cider,  spruce 
beer,  and  other  delectable  dishes  and  beverages.  The 
country  people  flocked  to  the  city  to  enjoy  the  parade 
of  the  militia  and  the  fireworks  and  delights  of  the  Park, 
while  the  city  boys  flocked  to  the  country  to  enjoy  the 
green  apples  and  have  a  good  time  generally.  In  1840, 
it  was  proposed  to  abolish  the  booths,  but  they  lasted 
for  some  years  longer.  Their  cessation  elicited  the 
general  remark,  says  Charles  H.  Haswell,  "The  Fourth 
of  July  passed  away  when  the  booths  around  City  Hall 
Park  were  taken  away." 

The  bodies  of  several  persons  for  whom  the  city 
mourned  and  whom  it  wished  to  honor  have  lain  in 
state  in  the  City  Hall.  Among  these  were  President 
Lincoln  in  April,  1865,  and  General  Grant  in  August, 
1885,  and  thousands  of  their  sorrowing  countrymen 
looked  upon  their  dead  faces.  The  body  of  John  Howard 
Payne,  the  author  of  Home,  Sweet  Home,  was  brought 


n8         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


back  from  Tunis,  Africa,  in  1883  and  lay  in  state  at  the 
City  Hall.  It  was  eminently  fitting  that  the  author 
of  the  sweetest  song  in  the  English  language  should  rest 
in  his  own  beloved  country.  Another  whose  memory 
the  city  thus  honored  was  General  Worth,  a  son  of  the 
state  and  a  distinguished  soldier. 

Sunk  in  the  pavement  in  front  of  the  main  entrance 
of  the  City  Hall  is  a  tablet  inscribed  with  the  fact  that, 
"At  this  place,  24th  March,  1900,  Hon.  Robert  A.  Van 
Wyck  made  the  first  excavation  for  the  Underground 
Railway. "    The  subway  station  is  only  a  few  yards  away. 

During  the  Civil  War,  the  lower  end  of  the  Park, 
where  the  post-office  now  stands,  was  occupied  by 
temporary  barracks  used  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
Federal  soldiers  that  were  stationed  in  the  city.  The 
adjoining  fountain  was  made  use  of  by  the  soldiers  for 
performing  their  ablutions. 

The  imposing,  but  ugly,  building  now  occupying  the 
southern  end  of  the  Park  triangle  is  the  New  York  post- 
office.  The  ground  was  acquired  from  the  city,  and  the 
building  was  first  occupied  by  the  Federal  Government 
on  September  1,  1875.  Its  cost  was  between  $6,000,000 
and  $7,000,000.  It  contains  not  only  the  post-office 
proper,  but  also  the  United  States  courts  of  this  district 
and  the  rooms  of  many  Federal  officials.  So  rapid  has 
been  the  growth  of  the  city  that  the  building  is  entirely 
inadequate  for  the  demands  made  upon  it,  and  a  new 
post-office  is  now  (191 1)  in  course  of  construction  on 
the  plot  of  ground  above  the  tunnels  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania railroad,  between  Eighth  and  Ninth  avenues  and 
Thirty-first  and  Thirty-second  streets. 

Just  north  of  the  post-office,  facing  Broadway,  is  a 
statue  bearing  the  following  inscription:  "Nathan  Hale, 
a  captain  in  the  Regular  Army  of  the  United  States, 


The  City  Hall  Park 


119 


who  gave  his  life  for  his  country  in  the  City  of  New 
York,  September  26,  1776.  'My  only  regret  is  that  I 
have  but  one  life  to  give  for  my  country.'  "  The  statue 
is  the  work  of  the  sculptor,  Frederick  Macmonnies,  and 
it  was  erected  by  the  Society  of  the  Sons  of  the  Revolu- 
tion and  unveiled  on  November  25,  1893,  the  anniversary 
of  the  evacuation  of  the  city  by  the  British. 

No  picture  of  Hale  exists,  but  the  sculptor  has  followed 
the  description  of  Hale's  physical  appearance  as  given 
by  Captain  Hull  and  other  friends  of  the  martyred  spy. 
The  sculptor  has  succeeded  in  a  remarkable  degree  in 
depicting  the  character  of  Hale  and  of  portraying  his 
honesty,  candor,  and  disinterestedness  as  his  friends 
knew  him,  showing  that  he  had  fully  entered  into  Hale's 
life  and  being.  A  few  years  ago,  I  was  showing  the  statue 
to  an  English  friend  and  telling  him  Hale's  story.  After 
a  long  look  at  the  bronze  face,  the  Englishman  said: 
"If  that  is  a  correct  picture  of  Hale,  surely  no  man  was 
less  fitted  to  be  a  spy  than  he."  Many  people  have  an 
idea  that  Hale  was  hanged  within  the  Park  and  that  he 
had  been  imprisoned  within  the  "Provost,"  but  this  is 
erroneous.  The  spot  of  his  execution  is  unknown  ;  but 
from  the  best  evidence  available,  he  was  hanged  in 
front  of  the  British  artillery  camp  near  the  Beekman 
mansion  at  Turtle  Bay  on  the  East  River,  near  First 
Avenue  and  Fifty-first  Street.* 

Nathan  Hale  was  born  in  Coventry,  Connecticut, 
in  1755.  He  was  graduated  from  Yale  College  in  1773 
and  afterwards  taught  school  at  East  Haddam  and  in 
New  London  in  his  native  State.  Upon  the  outbreak 
of  the  Revolution,  he  was  engaged  on  recruiting  duty 
for  some  time  and  then  accompanied  Colonel  Webb's 

*  See  monograph  on  Nathan  Hale  by  Professor  Johnson  of  the  City 
College  from  which  are  taken  most  of  my  statements  concerning  Hale. 


120  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


regiment  to  the  fortifications  about  Boston,  holding 
the  position  of  captain.  Upon  the  reorganization  of 
the  Continental  army,  he  became  a  captain  in  the  19th 
Regiment  of  Foot,  Colonel  Webb  commanding.  His 
regiment  formed  part  of  Heath's  brigade,  which  was  dis- 


patched to  New 
after  the  evacu- 
Sir  William 
battle  of  Long 
rangers  was 
command  of 
Knowlton  of 
be  the  eyes  and 
and  Hale  was 
to  be  one  of  his 
Washington 
what  f ortifica- 
by  Howe  and 
had  made  of  the 
called  upon 
a  spy, 
Hale 
teered. 
guised 
Dutch 
master, 
went  to 


THE  NATHAN  HALE  STATUE  IN  CITY  HALL  PARK 


York  immediately 
ation  of  Boston  by 
Howe.  After  the 
Island,  a  battalion  of 
formed  under  the 
Lieutenant-  Colonel 
Hale's  regiment,  "to 
ears  of  the  army," 
selected  by  Knowlton 
captains. 

was  anxious  to  know 
tions  had  been  erected 
what  dispositions  he 
British   troops.  He 
Knowlton  to  furnish 
and 
v  o  1  u  n- 
D  i  s  - 
as  a 
school- 
H  a  1  e 
Nor- 


walk  in  Connecticut  and  crossed  the  Sound  to  Long 
Island.  This  was  the  last  seen  of  him  by  any  of  his 
friends. 

On  the  afternoon  of  Sunday,  September  26,  1776, 
Captain  Montressor  of  Howe's  staff,  chief  engineer  of 
the  British  army,  visited  the  American  lines  under  a 
flag  of  truce.    He  was  met  by  General  Putnam,  Adjutant- 


The  City  Hall  Park 


121 


General  Reed,  Alexander  Hamilton,  William  Hull,  and 
others.  In  the  course  of  conversation,  Montressor 
stated  that  a  captain  of  rangers  had  been  hanged  that 
morning  as  a  spy.  Hull,  who  was  a  classmate  and 
intimate  friend  of  Hale,  at  once  asked  the  name  of  the 
captain;  whereupon  Montressor  related  the  incidents 
of  the  execution.  Hale  had  been  caught  red-handed, 
the  incriminating  papers  had  been  found  on  him,  and 
he  had  at  once  admitted  his  mission.  On  the  way  to 
the  execution  by  the  Provost-Marshal  Cunningham, 
Montressor,  moved  by  pity  at  the  sight  of  the  handsome, 
ingenuous  youth,  invited  Hale  within  his  tent  while 
preparations  were  making  for  the  execution.  Mon- 
tressor engaged  Hale  in  conversation,  learned  his  name 
and  rank,  and  expressed  the  opinion  that  Hale  must 
regret  having  undertaken  a  mission  so  foreign  to  his 
rank  and  character  and  ending  in  an  ignominious  death; 
whereupon  Hale  gave  his  immortal  reply.  This,  briefly, 
is  the  story  of  Nathan  Hale  as  we  know  it  from  the  ac- 
count given  by  William  Hull.  Many  legends  have  grown 
up  in  the  course  of  time,  but,  as  they  lack  confirmation, 
they  must  be  considered  as  surmises  and  probabilities 
not  capable  of  proof.* 

On  the  eighteenth  of  June,  1812,  Congress  declared 
war  against  Great  Britain,  word  of  which  reached  New 
York  two  days  later.  On  the  twenty-fourth,  in  com- 
pliance with  the  call  of  the  Common  Council,  a  great 
number  of  the  citizens  met  at  noon  in  the  Park,  facing 
the  City  Hall.  Colonel  Henry  Rutgers  was  chairman, 
and  Colonel  Marinus  Willet,  secretary  of  the  meeting. 
Notwithstanding  the  divergence  of  opinions  in  regard 
to  the  expediency  of  the  war  a  set  of  strong  and  patriotic 

*  For  a  more  detailed  account  of  the  execution,  see  the  author's  novel, 
A  Princess  and  Another. 


122  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


resolutions  was  unanimously  adopted,  approving  the 
action  of  the  Government  and  pledging  to  its  support 
"their  lives,  their  fortunes,  and  their  sacred  honors." 
Within  four  months  thereafter,  the  individual  enterprise 
of  the  citizens  had  fitted  out  and  sent  to  sea  twenty-six 
privateers,  carrying  two  hundred  and  twelve  guns  and 
over  twenty-two  thousand  men. 

But  the  war  went  steadily  against  the  United  States, 
and  at  last  all  the  vessels  of  our  little  navy  were  either 
captured  or  blockaded  in  our  ports.  The  British  ad- 
mirals, admitting  that  their  imperative  orders  were 
"to  destroy  and  lay  waste  all  towns  and  districts  of  the 
United  States  accessive  to  the  attack  of  British  arma- 
ments, "  had  captured  and  devastated  Eastport,  Machias, 
Castine,  and  Belfast  in  Maine,  had  bombarded  Stonington 
in  Connecticut,  and  had  worked  havoc  along  the  shores 
of  the  Chesapeake.  British  vessels  of  war  had  approached 
through  the  Sound  as  far  as  Throgg's  Neck,  now  within 
the  city  of  New  York  in  the  Borough  of  The  Bronx. 
The  coast  was  blockaded  from  Georgia  to  Maine,  and 
the  work  of  the  British  fleets  had  ceased  to  be  war  and 
had  become  devastation. 

Alarmed  at  these  reports  from  all  sections  of  the 
coast  and  realizing  the  unpreparedness  of  New  York 
to  withstand  an  anticipated  attack,  the  Common  Council 
called  a  meeting  in  the  Park,  August  II,  1814,  to  take 
measures  for  the  protection  of  the  city.  Colonel  Rutgers 
was  chairman  as  before;  and  while  the  committee  was 
drawing  up  a  set  of  resolutions  the  old  veteran  of  the 
Revolution,  Marinus  Willett,  aroused  the  enthusiasm 
of  the  assemblage  by  tales  of  the  first  great  struggle 
with  Great  Britain,  and  urged  them  to  support  their 
leaders  to  the  end.  A  set  of  resolutions  was  unanimously 
carried,  declaring  their  resolve  to  unite  in  arms  on  the 


The  City  Hall  Park 


123 


approach  of  the  enemy  and  to  defend  the  city  to  the  last 
extremity,  and  urging  all  citizens  to  enroll  in  the  militia 
or  naval  service,  to  assist  in  the  public  works,  and  by 
every  means  in  their  power  to  aid  the  authorities  in 
their  efforts  to  secure  the  public  safety. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  inhabitants  of  New  York 
were  thoroughly  scared ;  for  so  numerous  were  the  volun- 


~~1 


CITY  HALL 


teers  to  work  on  the  fortifications — merchants,  masons, 
carpenters,  shoemakers,  artisans  of  all  trades,  and  in- 
corporated societies — that  the  authorities  had  to  beg 
some  of  them  to  wait  from  day  to  day  for  want  of  room 
to  place  them.  The  whole  city  wore  a  martial  aspect, 
drilling  was  going  on  everywhere,  and  citizens  of  all 
classes  and  ranks  could  be  seen  hurrying  through  the 
streets  with  pick  or  shovel  to  help  construct  the  public 
works  of  defence.    Many  of  these  works  in  the  harbor 


124         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


have  been  enlarged  and  modernized  and  constitute  the 
defences  of  the  New  York  of  to-day.  Of  those  at  the 
upper  end  of  the  city — at  McGowan's  Pass  and  across 
the  island  at  various  points — two  of  the  block-houses  and 
traces  of  the  fortifications  remain — all  now  guarded  and 
protected  from  injury  by  our  local  patriotic  societies. 
Happily,  there  was  no  need  for  all  this  preparation,  for 
the  treaty  of  peace  was  signed  at  Ghent  on  the  twenty- 
fourth  of  December  of  the  same  year,  and  the  war  was 
over. 

Lotteries  were  recognized  means  of  obtaining  money 
for  public  purposes  during  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth 
century;  they  were  held  in  front  of  the  City  Hall  in  the 
presence  of  an  alderman.  Meetings  of  all  kinds  were 
held  by  the  citizens  in  the  Park;  as,  for  example,  in 
1 82 1,  when  the  clergymen  of  the  city  called  a  meeting 
to  express  disapprobation  of  Sunday  steamboat  excur- 
sions, which  were  becoming  very  popular.  Fully  five 
thousand  persons  were  present,  who  took  the  conduct 
of  affairs  out  of  the  hands  of  the  clergymen  and  expressed 
by  vote  their  disapproval  of  the  interference  of  the 
clergy.  Many  abolition  meetings  also  were  held  here; 
and  on  August  27,  1835,  a  small  but  select  meeting  was 
held  which  expressed  itself  as  opposed  to  the  action 
of  the  Abolitionists. 

In  1837,  there  occurred  the  first  great  business  panic 
with  which  the  nation  has  been  visited,  and  New  York 
was  as  hard  hit  as  the  rest  of  the  country.  Unfortunately, 
no  practical  measures  were  at  first  instituted  to  relieve 
the  distresses  of  the  working  classes,  and  advantage 
was  taken  of  the  opportunity  by  politicians  and  dema- 
gogues to  inflame  the  passions  of  the  ignorant  and  the 
vicious.  On  the  tenth  of  February,  there  appeared  the 
following  notice: 


The  City  Hall  Park 


125 


BREAD,  MEAT,  RENT,  FUEL!! 

THEIR  PRICES  MUST  COME  DOWN ! 

The  voice  of  the  People  will  be  heard,  and  must  prevail. 
The  People  will  meet  in  the  Park,  rain  or  shine,  at 
4  o'clock  Monday  afternoon, 
To  inquire  into  the  cause  of  the  present  unexampled  distress 
and  to  devise  a  suitable  remedy.    All  friends  of  humanity, 
determined  to  resist  monopolists  and  extortionists,  are 
invited  to  attend. 

Moses  Jacques  Daniel  Gorham 

Paulus  Heddle  John  Windy 

Daniel  A.  Robinson  Alexander  Ming,  Jr. 

Warden  Hayward  Elijah  F.  Crane. 

New  York,  Feb.  10,  1837. 

Pursuant  to  the  call,  fully  six  thousand  persons 
assembled  in  front  of  the  City  Hall,  and  Moses  Jacques 
was  chosen  cha'rman.  There  was  no  lack  of  speakers; 
and  the  multitude  was  divided  up  into  groups  listening 
to  the  different  orators,  the  burden  of  each  one's  speech 
consisting  chiefly  of  denunciation  of  the  rich,  of  land- 
lords, and  of  the  dealers  in  provisions,  especially  of  flour. 
The  chief  offender  in  the  eyes  of  the  mob  was  the  firm 
of  Eli  Hart  &  Co. ;  and  one  of  the  speakers,  having  aroused 
his  hearers  to  the  highest  pitch,  exclaimed: 

"Fellow-citizens,  Eli  Hart  &  Company  have  now  fifty- 
three  thousand  barrels  of  flour  in  their  store;  let  us  go 
and  offer  them  eight  dollars  a  barrel  for  it,  and  if  they 
do  not  accept  it  " 

Here  he  was  interrupted,  as  Patrick  Henry  had  been 
in  a  much  more  famous  speech,  and  concluded  by  saying 
in  a  significant  tone,  "If  they  will  not  accept  it — we  will 
depart  in  peace." 

The  hint  was  sufficient,  and  the  great  crowd  rushed 


126         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


down  Broadway  to  Dey  Street,  increasing  in  numbers 
and  excitement  until  they  reached  Washington  Street, 
when  they  became  a  roaring  mob.  Hart's  store  was 
attacked  and  the  barrels  of  flour  were  rolled  into  the 
street  and  broken  open,  until  some  police  arrived  on  the 
scene,  when  there  was  a  momentary  lull  in  the  operations. 
The  police  were  soon  mastered  by  the  frenzied  mob, 
and  the  work  of  destruction  went  on  until  the  appear- 
ance of  the  militia,  who  had  been  hurriedly  summoned 
by  the  mayor,  at  sight  of  whom  the  mob  dispersed. 
An  army  of  women  and  boys  appeared  during  the  height 
of  the  destruction  and  gathered  up  the  spilled  flour  in 
pails,  bags,  and  other  vessels.  Several  other  flour  stores 
in  the  vicinity  were  attacked  during  the  excitement, 
and  one  thousand  bushels  of  wheat  and  six  hundred 
barrels  of  flour  were  emptied  into  the  street.  The  usual 
result  followed — flour  became  dearer  than  before,  and  the 
ringleaders  of  the  mob,  the  politicians  and  demagogues 
who  had  incited  them  to  riot,  went  unpunished,  though 
some  of  their  dupes  went  to  prison. 

In  1857,  during  the  panic  and  distress  of  that  year, 
crowds  of  the  unemployed  flocked  into  the  Park  and 
threatened  the  authorities  unless  they  were  given  food 
and  work.  Their  riotous  action  was  repressed  by  giving 
them  work  in  Central  Park,  recently  purchased  and  then 
in  course  of  development.  The  charitable  societies 
and  people  of  the  city  established  soup  kitchens  for  the 
needy  and  starving  thousands,  so  that  danger  of  an 
uprising  was  averted. 

In  the  year  1863,  it  was  necessary  for  the  Federal 
Government  to  institute  a  draft  to  supply  the  depleted 
armies  of  the  nation,  then  engaged  in  a  life  and  death 
struggle  for  the  preservation  of  the  Union.  The  draft 
went  into  effect  in  New  York  on  July  eleventh,  and 


128  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


was  followed  by  riots  in  several  parts  of  the  city.  One 
of  the  objects  of  attack  by  the  rioters  was  the  building 
of  the  New  York  Tribune  on  Park  Row.  On  the  thir- 
teenth, Governor  Horatio  Seymour  arrived  in  the  city 
and  went  to  the  City  Hall.  A  great  crowd  of  rioters 
who  had  resumed  their  attack  on  the  Tribune  building 
heard  of  his  presence  and  flocked  into  the  Park  and  were 
addressed  by  the  governor.  He  was  overcome  by  the 
sight  of  the  riotous  mob,  and  either  lost  his  head  or 
purposely  attempted  to  conciliate  them  by  making  them 
believe  he  was  friendly  to  them  and  their  actions.  He 
even  went  so  far  as  to  call  them  "My  friends."  The 
mob  cheered  him  to  the  echo,  and  thus  encouraged, 
dispersed  to  resume  their  work  of  murder  and  destruction. 

There  were  two  points  in  Broadway  at  which  danger 
was  expected  from  the  rioters;  these  were  No.  1190, 
where  the  provost-marshal  had  established  one  of  the 
wheels  for  drawing  names,  the  other  was  at  Broadway 
and  Twenty-second  Street,  where  was  the  office  of  U.  S. 
Collector  of  Internal  Revenue,  George  P.  Putnam.  The 
drawing  lasted  during  the  forenoon  of  July  eleventh  at 
1 1 90,  but  was  stopped  by  the  marshal  at  that  time,  as 
the  riot  had  begun.  Neither  place  was  attacked,  though 
the  guardians  of  both  were  on  watch  incessantly  for 
several  days.  In  Broadway,  itself,  a  mob  was  attacked 
and  scattered  in  the  neighborhood  of  Bleecker  Street 
by  the  police  held  in  reserve  at  police  headquarters  in 
Mulberry  Street,  the  rioters  being  at  the  time  on  their 
way  to  attack  that  building.  The  fortunate  arrival 
of  the  Seventh  Regiment  and  the  active  efforts  of  the 
few  officers  and  troops  in  the  city  put  down  the  riot  on 
the  fourth  day.  The  dearth  of  troops  was  due  to 
the  fact  that  they  had  been  drawn  upon  to  sustain 
Meade  in  his  efforts  to  turn  the  tide  of  Confederate 


The  City  Hall  Park 


129 


invasion  in  Pennsylvania,  culminating  in  the  victory  at 
Gettysburg. 

In  1861,  the  legislature  authorized  the  erection  of  a 
new  county  court-house  at  an  expenditure  of  not  more 
than  $250,000.  The  site  selected  was  that  formerly 
occupied  by  the  ancient  almshouse  in  rear  of  the  City 
Hall.  The  building  was  first  used  in  1867,  but  was  not 
completed  for  many  years  afterwards.  Its  construction 
was  the  most  gigantic  steal  of  the  many  with  which  New 
York  has  been  inflicted  by  its  political  "bosses,"  and 
occurred  during  the  days  of  the  "Tweed  Ring."  When 
the  building  was  finally  completed,  it  had  cost  the  city 
over  $14,000,000,  most  of  which  was  without  authority 
of  law,  and  over  half  of  which  found  its  way  into  the 
pockets  of  the  Ring. 

East  of  the  court-house  and  fronting  on  Chambers 
Street  there  formerly  stood  a  circular  building  called  the 
Rotunda.  The  ground  was  secured  from  the  city  in 
1816  on  a  ten  years'  lease  by  John  Vanderlyn  the  artist, 
a  protege  and  friend  of  Aaron  Burr;  and  the  building 
was  erected  the  following  year.  It  was  used  for  pano- 
ramic displays  of  the  battle  of  Waterloo,  the  Palace  and 
Garden  of  Versailles,  and  of  other  places  and  events, 
as  well  as  serving  as  an  art  gallery.  In  1832,  there  were 
exhibited  pictures  of  Adam  and  Eve,  who  were  shown 
in  a  semi-nude  condition.  This  shocked  a  large  portion 
of  the  community,  who  had  not  yet  been  educated  up 
(or  down)  to  such  impropriety,  and  the  exhibition  was 
much  censured.  Of  course,  everybody  went  to  see  for 
himself,  there  were  the  same  old  arguments  for  the  nude 
in  art  that  we  hear  even  to-day — and  the  exhibition  was 
a  financial  success.  The  building  was  used  for  a  time 
in  1849  as  the  city  post-office  during  the  cholera  epidemic 
of  that  year;  later  it  was  used  for  municipal  purposes. 
9 


130  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


It  gave  way  in  1852  to  the  ugly,  square  brown-stone 
building  now  occupying  the  site  which  is  used  for  the 
City  Court,  and  which  was  formerly  occupied  by  the 
criminal  courts  until  the  construction  of  the  new  Criminal 
Court  building  on  Centre  Street  in  1894. 

In  1903,  it  became  apparent  that  the  present  county 
court-house  would  not  long  answer  the  demands  made 
upon  it,  and  a  committee  was  appointed  to  select  a  new  site. 


THE  NORTH  END  OF  CITY  HALL  PARK  SHOWING  SCUDDER's  MUSEUM,  1825 

After  many  sites  had  been  considered,  it  was  determined 
in  February,  1 910,  that  the  most  available  was  that  at 
the  north  end  of  the  Park,  extending  from  Broadway 
to  Park  Row ;  and  the  mayor  and  governor  both  approved 
the  bill  to  place  the  court-house  there.  The  plans  call 
for  a  ten- story  structure,  equipped  with  modern  sanitary 
and  ventilating  systems,  in  which  the  present  building 
is  sadly  lacking,  and  incorporating  the  present  edifice. 
The  chief  point  to  recommend  this  site  is  that  the  city 
owns  the  land.    The  lovers  of  the  City  Beautiful  at 


The  City  Hall  Park 


131 


once  attacked  the  plan,  and  maintained  that  it  would 
be  cheaper  for  the  city  in  the  end  to  spend  several  millions 
for  a  new  site,  rather  than  still  further  to  encroach  upon 
the  limits  of  the  Park.  No  decision  as  to  site  having 
been  arrived  at,  Senator  Stillwell  introduced  a  bill  in 
the  Legislature  of  191 1  making  it  mandatory  upon  the 
authorities  to  use  the  Park  site  and  to  appropriate  the 
necessary  money  for  the  construction  of  the  court-house 
within  four  months  after  the  passage  of  the  bill.  Not- 
withstanding the  almost  unanimous  opposition  of  the 
newspapers  and  the  civic  societies,  the  iniquitous  measure 
was  railroaded  through  the  Legislature  and  sent  to  the 
Mayor  for  his  consideration.  Mayor  Gaynor  gave  a 
public  hearing  and  promptly  vetoed  the  bill  and  returned 
it  to  Albany  in  July;  but  the  bill  was  at  once  re-intro- 
duced, with  some  changes  to  meet  the  Mayor's  objections. 
The  matter  was  still  pending  when  this  volume  went  to 
press.  The  committee  of  judges  has  been  in  existence 
eight  years  and  has  succeeded  in  not  selecting  a  site — 
another  example  of  the  law's  delay. 


CHAPTER  VII 


FROM  THE  PARK  TO  CANAL  STREET 

T  Park  Row  the  ancient  highway 
turned  off  to  the  eastward  until  it 
joined  the  Bowery  Lane  at  Chat- 
ham Square  and  became  merged  in 
the  latter  as  the  "Great  Highway 
to  Boston. "  The  first  thoroughfare 
to  extend  the  length  of  the  island 
to  Kingsbridge  was  the  Boston 
Road,  which  followed  the  Bowery  and  Fourth  Avenue 
to  the  present  Union  Square,  merging  itself  there  in 
the  Bloomingdale  Road  as  far  as  Twenty-third  Street, 
where  it  branched  off  to  the  eastward  and  followed  an 
irregular  course  up  the  east  side  of  the  island,  crossing 
the  northeast  corner  of  Central  Park  at  McGowan's 
Pass  and  following  the  Harlem  Lane  (St.  Nicholas 
Avenue)  until  it  reached  the  Kingsbridge  Road,  which 
it  followed  to  Spuyten  Duyvel  Creek.  These  streets 
and  directions  are,  of  course,  only  approximate;  for 
many  changes  have  been  made  in  the  direction  and 
nomenclature  of  the  highways  of  the  city  during  the  course 
of  its  development.  Part  of  this  road  was  the  road  to 
Harlem,  which  place  had  been  first  settled  about  1658  at 
the  suggestion  of  Petrus  Stuyvesant,  who  offered  to  give 
the  settlers  a  ferry  to  Long  Island  and  a  court  and  clergy- 

132 


From  the  Park  to  Canal  Street  133 


man  of  their  own  as  soon  as  they  numbered  twenty-five 
families.  For  many  years  the  road  to  Harlem  led  through 
the  woods  and  was  in  such  poor  condition  that  it  was  at 
times  impassable.  A  new  road  was  laid  out  in  1671 ,  lead- 
ing to  the  vicinity  of  Third  Avenue  and  One  Hundred  and 
Thirtieth  Street. 

Though,  as  already  stated,  Broadway  in  English  days 
did  not,  as  a  highway,  extend  beyond  Chambers  Street, 
there  was  a  wagon  road  as  far  as  the  present  Canal  Street 
and  beyond,  for  the  British  had  fortifications  there  during 
the  Revolution,  and  there  is  mention  of  a  "middle"  road 
between  the  Boston  Road  and  the  road  to  Greenwich  along 
the  shore  of  the  Hudson.  Evidence  of  this  road  is  also 
shown  when  the  Americans  were  retreating  from  the  city 
to  the  upper  part  of  the  island  in  September,  1776.  Put- 
nam was  in  the  city,  and  the  British  were  prepared  to 
throw  a  line  across  the  island  from  Kip's  Bay  to  the  Hud- 
son, when,  for  some  reason — tradition  says  at  Mrs.  Mur- 
ray's home  "Inclenberg" — they  stopped  near  the  East 
River  shore.  Aaron  Burr  knew  the  island  thoroughly,  and 
he  was  the  aid  who  extricated  Putnam  from  his  dilemma. 
He  guided  the  American  troops  over  a  new  road  which 
had  been  cut  through  the  hills  as  an  extension  of  Great 
George  Street.  Though  it  was  so  hot  a  day  that  several 
soldiers  succumbed  to  the  heat,  Putnam  and  Burr  rode 
from  end  to  end  of  the  column,  encouraging  the  soldiers 
and  the  women  and  children  who  accompanied  them,  and 
hurrying  them  on,  so  that  Putnam  was  able  to  report  to 
the  Chief  without  any  loss  of  men  or  baggage  to  speak  of. 
But  the  road  did  not  become  a  legally  recognized  high- 
way until  much  later. 

In  1683,  the  city  was  divided  into  wards  by  Governor 
Dongan.  The  West  Ward  took  in  both  sides  of  Broadway, 
its  eastern  boundary  being  New  Street,  and  its  western  one 


134  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


the  Hudson;  it  extended  from  Battery  Place  on  the  south 
to  Wall  Street  on  the  north.  The  Out  Ward  was  "To 
contain  the  town  of  Harlem,  with  all  the  farms  and  settle- 
ments on  this  island,  from  north  of  the  Fresh  Water." 

The  development  of  Broadway  was  in  sections:  first, 
from  Vesey  Street  to  Duane;  second,  from  Duane  Street 
to  Canal;  third,  from  Canal  Street  to  Astor  Place;  last, 
from  Astor  Place  to  Union  Square. 

The  first  section  was  surveyed  in  1760  by  Mr.  Mar- 
schalk,  a  city  surveyor,  who  presented  to  the  corporation 
the  plan  of  a  road  from  the  Spring  Garden  House,  "where 
the  road  is  eighty-two  feet  six  inches  wide,  to  the  grounds 
of  the  Widow  Rutgers,  where  the  street  is  to  be  fifty  feet 
wide  " — this  is  the  Great  George  Street  already  mentioned. 
The  Rutgers  property  was  in  the  vicinity  of  Thomas  Street 
where  the  New  York  Hospital  stood  at  a  later  date.  The 
east  side  of  this  section  was  taken  up  principally  by  the 
Commons.  "In  1790,  the  first  sidewalks  of  the  city  were 
laid  on  the  west  side  of  Broadway  from  Vesey  to  Murray 
Street,  and  opposite  for  the  same  distance  along  the  Bride- 
well fence.  These  were  narrow  pavements  of  brick  and 
stone,  scarcely  wide  enough  for  two  people  to  walk  a- 
breast"  (Booth.)  Broadway  was  a  succession  of  hills 
above  this  point,  being  highest  at  Anthony  Street,  where 
there  was  a  steep  hill  over  which  the  road  climbed,  dropping 
down  on  the  other  side  as  abruptly  to  the  stream  at  Canal 
Street.  In  1792,  John  Jay  gave  the  Common  Council  free 
right  to  regulate  streets  through  his  land  on  Great  George 
Street.  Five  years  later,  the  grade  of  Broadway  was 
established  between  Duane  and  Canal  Streets,  though  it 
was  some  years  before  work  was  begun.  The  period  of 
the  development  of  this  section  was  to  about  1830. 

In  1833,  the  first  block,  or  Belgian,  pavement  was  sub- 
stituted for  the  old  cobble-stones ;  the  first  experiment  was 


From  the  Park  to  Canal  Street  135 


tried  on  the  Bowery.  In  Broadway,  Reuss  blocks  were 
tried,  but  they  proved  a  failure,  and  the  Belgian  replaced 
them.  In  1835,  in  front  of  Philip  Hone's  house,  the  Street 
Department  tried  a  new  experiment,  between  Chambers 
and  Warren  streets,  in  making  a  roadbed  of  two  layers 
of  stone,  the  lower  of  large  pieces  and  the  upper  of  crushed 
stone ;  then  hemlock  blocks  were  laid  on  top  and  the  cracks 
were  filled  with  tar.  Vehicles  ran  so  smoothly  over  the 
new  pavement  that  the  public  was  delighted,  and  one 
stage  owner  said  he  would  willingly  pay  one  hundred 
dollars  a  year  for  each  of  his  stages  if  the  whole  street  were 
to  be  so  paved.  Within  a  year,  however,  the  street  was 
in  a  wretched  condition,  and  the  stages  were  even  en- 
croaching on  the  sidewalks.  The  wooden  blocks  were 
too  soft  to  stand  the  heavy  traffic  at  this  point,  and  the 
pavement  became  full  of  holes,  which  were  repaired  with 
the  old  cobbles  and  cement.  It  was  not  until  about  1852 
that  the  old  pavement  of  pebbles  was  removed  entirely 
from  Broadway,  and  the  Reuss  blocks  were  substituted. 
These,  in  time,  became  so  smooth  and  slippery  that 
the  much  narrower  granite,  Belgian,  blocks  took  their 
place.  Much  later,  asphalt  was  used,  but  proved  too 
soft,  and  a  return  was  made  to  the  Belgian,  with  which 
the  street  is  at  present  paved  from  the  post-office  to  Canal 
Street ;  below,  to  the  Bowling  Green,  the  roadway  is  paved 
with  an  improved  kind  of  wooden  block  which  seems  to 
be  standing  well  and  which  greatly  decreases  the  noise  of 
heavy  trucking. 

On  the  west  side  of  Broadway,  extending  down  to  the 
shore  of  the  Hudson,  and  lying  about  between  Fulton  and 
Duane  streets,  was  the  farm  of  the  West  India  Company. 
It  became  the  Duke's  farm  in  1664,  when  the  Duke  of  York 
became  the  lord-proprietor,  and  the  King's  farm  in  1685, 
when  he  became  king  of  England.    In  1702,  it  became  the 


136  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Queen's  farm,  upon  the  succession  to  the  throne  of  Queen 
Anne,  who  held  possession  of  it  until  1 705 ,  when  she  granted 
it  to  Trinity  Church.  Trinity  built  St.  Paul's  upon  the 
portion  lying  between  Fulton  and  Vesey  streets,  and  di- 
vided up  the  remainder  into  lots  which  were  let  on  long 
leases.  The  upper  portion  of  the  farm  included  what 
had  formerly  been  Roelof  Jansen's  land,  and  which  passed 
at  his  death  into  the  ownership  of  his  widow,  Annetje  Jans, 
who  subsequently  married  Dominie  Everardus  Bogardus, 
so  that  the  farm  became  known  as  the  "Dominie's 
bouwerie."  It  was  sold  by  the  heirs  of  Annetje  Jans  to 
Governor  Francis  Lovelace  in  March,  1670-71,  and  was 
confiscated  by  the  Duke  of  York,  because  Lovelace  was  as 
deeply  in  debt  to  him  as  to  every  one  else.  In  the  transfer 
to  Lovelace,  one  of  the  heirs,  a  daughter  of  Annetje,  failed 
to  give  her  consent,  either  directly  or  by  attorney ;  and 
this  fact  has  been  the  basis  for  all  the  claims  of  Annetje's 
descendants  from  that  day  to  this — the  suits  being  decided 
against  the  claimants  by  the  courts.  This  upper  part  of 
the  Church  farm  extended  as  far  as  the  neighborhood  of 
Canal  Street  and  the  Hudson,  one  corner  of  it  only  touch- 
ing Broadway  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Chambers  Street, 
at  the  northern  boundary  of  the  Queen's  farm  proper.  All 
of  this  property  was  included  in  the  "Out  Ward"  of  the 
city  according  to  the  division  of  1683. 

The  corporation  of  Trinity  began  to  lay  out  the  south 
part  of  the  farm  in  lots  in  1 720,  at  which  time  Great  George 
Street  did  not  extend  beyond  Ann  Street,  or  the  Eastern 
Highway.  On  the  line  of  Broadway,  abreast  of  the  Fields, 
was  the  rope-walk  of  Dugdale  &  Searle,  who  maintained 
the  place  for  over  twenty  years.  The  west  side  of  the 
street  was  lined  with  a  row  of  fine  trees.  The  streets 
laid  out  through  the  farm  were  Fair  (afterwards,  Division, 
now,  Fulton);  Vesey,  named  in  honor  of  the  first  rector; 


From  the  Park  to  Canal  Street  137 


Barclay,  after  the  second;  Murray  and  Chambers,  after 
distinguished  members  of  the  Church  corporation;  and 
Warren,  after  Admiral  Sir  Peter  Warren,  founder  of  Green- 
wich Village.  Between  Barclay  and  Murray,  was  Robin- 
son Street,  later  called  Park  Place,  which  only  extended 
to  the  grounds  of  King's  College  at  first,  but  which  was 
opened  through  the  grounds  of  Columbia  College  to 
College  Place,  October  27,  1854. 

On  the  site  now  occupied  by  the  Astor  House,  there 
stood  in  the  earlier  part  of  the  eighteenth  century  the 
Drovers'  Inn,  which  was  the  resort  of  the  sporting  gentry 
of  the  period.  There  was  a  race  course  laid  out  on  the 
Church  farm  adjoining,  a  fee  of  sixpence  being  charged  for 
spectators.  Later,  the  sports  were  transferred  to  the 
Bull's  Head  in  the  Bowery,  on  the  subsequent  site  of  the 
old  Bowery  Theatre.  About  the  beginning  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  when  fashion  began  to  creep  abreast  of 
the  Park,  there  were  several  of  the  leading  stores  of  the 
city,  such  as  "Old  Paff's"  bric-a-brac  shop,  Wells  & 
Patterson's  for  the  exclusive  sale  of  men's  furnishings 
(the  first  of  its  kind  in  the  city),  Jotham  Smith's  dry- 
goods  store,  and  Cotte's  confectionery  shop.  These  gave 
way  in  a  few  years  to  residences  of  wealthy  merchants — 
on  the  Astor  House  block,  among  others,  John  Jacob  Astor, 
John  G.  Coster,  and  Philip  Lydig.  Mayor  Philip  Hone's 
house  at  Number  235  was  above  at  Park  Place.  He  sold 
it  on  March  8,  1836,  for  $60,000,  and  the  lower  part  was 
converted  into  shops,  while  the  upper  part  became  the 
American  Hotel.  The  last  transfer  of  this  property  was 
in  March,  1910,  when  it  and  the  adjoining  property  on 
Park  Place  were  sold  for  prices  which  would  have  seemed 
fabulous  in  Hone's  day  and  beyond  the  dreams  of  the  most 
imaginative.  The  last  purchasers  of  the  property  have 
already  filed  plans  and  begun  work  upon  the  erection  of  a 


138 


The  World's  Greatest  Street 


forty-five  story  building,  which  will  be  the  third  loftiest 
building  in  the  world  and  the  second  in  America,  being 
surpassed  only  by  the  Eiffel  Tower  in  Paris  and  the  Metro- 
politan Life  building  in  New  York.    It  is  to  be  known  as 


j 


THE  ASTOR  HOUSE,  BETWEEN  VESEY  AND  BARCLAY  STREETS 


the  Woolworth  building  from  the  president  of  the  company 
erecting  it,  and  will  cost  over  $5,000,000. 

In  1830,  John  Jacob  Astor  determined  to  build  a  hotel 
which  should  be  the  finest  in  the  country.  He  bought 
all  the  property  between  Vesey  and  Barclay  streets,  except 
that  belonging  to  John  G.  Coster.  It  is  related  that  he 
said  to  Coster:  "You  are  not  especially  attached  to  your 
house;  you  can  build  somewhere  else  and  find  a  home. 
I  '11  tell  you  what  I  '11  do,  Coster.    You  select  two  friends 


From  the  Park  to  Canal  Street  139 


and  I  '11  select  one.  Let  them  get  together  and  appraise 
the  value  of  your  house  and  lot,  and  I  '11  give  you 
twenty  thousand  dollars  more  than  they  decide  as  the 
value."  Under  such  a  liberal  proposition,  the  transfer 
of  the  land  was  soon  made,  and  the  construction  of  the 
mammoth  hotel  begun. 

It  was  completed  and  opened  in  1836,  the  marvel  of 
that  age,  with  its  elegant  rooms  and  equipments,  and  its 
interior  quadrangle,  now  used  for  the  lunch  counter  and 
room,  laid  out  as  a  garden  with  a  fountain  in  the  centre. 
Notwithstanding  that  it  was  an  expensive  place — it  cost  a 
dollar  a  day — the  hotel  became  the  stopping-place  of  many 
distinguished  men.  Among  the  names  of  its  guests  may 
be  mentioned  Andrew  Jackson,  "Sam"  Houston,  Webster, 
Clay,  Lincoln,  Irving,  Hawthorne,  Dickens,  Macready, 
Rachel,  and  Jenny  Lind.  Thurlow  Weed  had  his  political 
headquarters  in  the  hotel,  whence  he  dictated  the  policy 
of  his  party  and  determined  its  candidates  for  office.  He 
was  one  of  the  first  of  the  political  "bosses"  who  have 
ruled  the  state  and  the  nation.  Many  banquets  were 
given  here  to  distinguished  visitors  to  the  city;  among 
these  may  be  mentioned  one  given  to  the  Prince  de  Join- 
ville  on  November  26,  1840;  and  a  contemporary  historian 
remarks  that  "the  dinner  was  held  to  be  an  exceptional 
one,  inasmuch  as  the  great  number  of  dignitaries,  officers 
of  the  army  and  navy,  etc.,  invited,  filled  the  capacity  of 
the  hall,  and  as  there  was  not  any  space  left  for  the  usual 
hangers-on  of  our  city  fathers,  the  entertainment  was 
hailed  as  one  worthy  of  the  guests  and  of  the  occasion." 
In  1844,  on  St.  Valentine's  Day,  was  given  the  first  of  the 
"Bachelor's  balls,"  which  was  long  remembered  for  its 
brilliancy. 

Let  us  turn  to  another  incident  at  the  hotel  as  told  by 
the  late  Rev.  Dr.  Dix,  the  rector  of  Trinity,  describing  the 


140         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


passage  through  the  city  of  the  Sixth  Massachusetts,  the 
first  regiment  of  New  England  troops  answering  President 
Lincoln's  call  for  75,000  troops  immediately  after  the 
firing  on  Fort  Sumter. 

They  came  in  at  night;  and  it  was  understood  that,  after 
breakfasting  at  the  Astor  House  the  march  would  be  resumed. 
By  nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  an  immense  crowd  had  assem- 
bled about  the  hotel ;  Broadway,  from  Barclay  to  Fulton  Street, 
and  the  lower  end  of  Park  Row,  were  occupied  by  a  dense  mass 
of  human  beings,  all  watching  the  front  entrance,  at  which  the 
regiment  was  to  file  out.  From  side  to  side,  from  wall  to  wall, 
extended  that  innumerable  host,  silent  as  the  grave,  expectant, 
something  unspeakable  in  their  faces.  It  was  the  dead,  deep 
hush  before  the  thunderstorm.  At  last  a  low  murmur  was 
heard ;  it  sounded  something  like  the  gasp  of  men  in  suspense ; 
and  the  cause  was  that  the  soldiers  had  appeared,  their  leading 
files  descending  the  steps.  By  the  twinkle  of  their  bayonets 
above  the  heads  of  the  crowd  their  course  could  be  traced  into 
the  open  street  in  front.  Formed,  at  last,  in  column,  they 
stood,  the  band  at  the  head ;  and  the  word  was  given  "  March ! " 
Still  dead  silence  prevailed.  Then  the  drums  rolled  out  the 
time — the  regiment  was  in  motion.  And  then  the  band, 
bursting  into  volume,  struck  up — what  other  tune  could  the 
Massachusetts  men  have  chosen? — "Yankee  Doodle."  I 
caught  about  two  bars  and  a  half  of  the  old  music,  not  more; 
for  instantly  there  arose  a  sound  such  as  many  a  man  never 
heard  in  his  life,  and  never  will  hear;  such  as  is  never  heard 
more  than  once  in  a  lifetime.  Not  more  awful  is  the  thunder 
of  heaven  as,  with  sudden  peal,  it  smites  into  silence  all  lesser 
sounds,  and,  rolling  through  the  vault  above  us,  fills  earth 
and  sky  with  the  shock  of  its  terrible  voice.  One  terrific  roar 
burst  from  the  multitude,  leaving  nothing  audible  save  its  own 
reverberation.  We  saw  the  heads  of  armed  men,  the  gleam 
of  their  weapons,  the  regimental  colors,  all  moving  on,  pageant- 
like; but  naught  could  we  hear  save  that  hoarse,  heavy  surge — 


I4I 


142  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


one  general  acclaim,  one  wild  shout  of  joy  and  hope,  one 
endless  cheer,  rolling  up  and  down,  from  side  to  side,  above, 
below,  to  right,  to  left;  the  voice  of  approval,  of  consent,  of 
unity  in  act  and  will.  No  one  who  saw  and  heard  could  doubt 
how  New  York  was  going. 

On  the  nineteenth,  New  York's  pride,  the  Seventh, 
marched  down  Broadway  with  nine  hundred  and  ninety- 
one  men  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  bound  for  the 
national  capital,  amid  scenes  of  even  greater  enthusiasm — 
for  these  were  New  York's  own.  Nor  were  the  scenes  of 
wild  joy  and  pride  much  less  in  the  following  week  as  the 
rest  of  the  city's  regiments  marched  down  Broadway  en 
route  to  Washington— the  Sixth,  the  Twelfth,  the  Seventy- 
first,  the  Eighth,  the  Thirteenth,  the  Twenty-eighth,  and 
the  Sixty-ninth.  The  scenes  were  repeated  in  1898,  at 
the  time  of  the  Spanish  War,  for  most  of  these  same  regi- 
ments, but  not  for  all  of  those  mentioned  above — for  two 
of  them  had  ceased  to  exist,  and  one  of  them,  alas!  did 
not  go. 

The  Astor  House  became  the  resort  of  many  of  the  liter- 
ary men  of  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century;  and 
it  was  no  unusual  thing  to  see  many  of  the  city's  best  in 
journalism,  art,  literature,  science,  and  business  taking 
their  afternoon  lounge  upon  its  steps,  watching  the  omni- 
buses, when,  as  one  writer  says,  "You  could  walk  from 
Barnum's  to  the  Battery  on  their  roofs,"  so  numerous 
were  they,  or  exchanging  salutations  with  the  passing 
crowds  of  shoppers  and  merchants  on  their  daily  walk 
from  business  to  their  homes  below  Bleecker  Street;  for, 
like  the  present  mayor  of  New  York,  Mr.  Gaynor,  they 
disdained  to  ride  to  or  from  their  places  of  business. 

There  were  several  reasons  why  they  did  this:  their 
shops  and  offices  were  not  too  far  away;  they  liked  the 


BROADWAY  STAGES 
143 


144         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


exercise;  riding  would  in  those  simple  d?ys  have  been 
considered  as  tending  toward  luxury  and  indolence;  and 
last,  there  were  very  few  private  equipages  and  the  risk  too 
great  to  use  them  over  the  rough  cobblestones  with  which 
the  streets  were  paved.  In  fact,  there  were  so  few  private 
carriages  that  each  was  as  well  known  as  if  the  owner's 
name  had  been  blazoned  on  its  sides.  The  public  vehicles 
were  rickety,  dilapidated  affairs,  taken  only  in  cases  of 
dire  necessity.  They  were  not  even  needed  at  funerals, 
for  the  body  was  borne  by  underbearers  and  everybody 
walked  to  the  grave,  usually  only  a  few  blocks  away. 

In  pre- Revolutionary  days,  stage  routes  were  estab- 
lished to  Boston,  Philadelphia,  Bordentown,  Burlington, 
and  other  distant  places.  A  foot  post  to  Albany  is  men- 
tioned in  1730,  and  the  post  was  sent  by  rider  in  colonial 
days.  In  1786,  the  Legislature  granted  to  Isaac  VanWyck, 
Talmage  Hall,  and  John  Kenny,  all  Columbia  County 
men,  the  exclusive  right  "to  erect,  set  up  and  carry  on,  and 
drive  stage  wagons  between  New  York  and  Albany  on  the 
east  side  of  the  river,  for  a  period  of  ten  years,  forbidding 
all  opposition  to  them  under  penalty  of  two  hundred 
pounds."  The  grantees  were  obliged  to  furnish  covered 
wagons,  drawn  by  four  horses  each,  and  the  fare  was  not 
to  exceed  fourpence  a  mile;  and  week1ry  trips  were  im- 
perative. The  trip  was  advertised  to  be  made  in  two 
days  in  the  summer.  The  venture  was  evidently  a 
success;  for  in  1793,  the  stage  was  advertised  to  leave 
Albany  twice  a  week  and  not  to  carry  more  than  ten  pas- 
sengers. Notwithstanding  the  traffic,  the  roads  were  bad, 
the  stages  were  uncomfortable,  and  the  trip  fatiguing,  as 
the  passengers  were  routed  up  about  three  or  four  o'clock 
in  the  morning  and  travelled  until  nine,  or  later,  at  night  1 
putting  up  at  poor  and  ill-kept  inns.  The  stages  origin- 
ally started  from  Cortlandt  Street,  but  later  from  Broad- 


From  the  Park  to  Canal  Street  145 


way  and  Twenty-third  Street;  the  route,  of  course,  was 
over  the  Boston  Road  from  that  point  to  Kingsbridge. 
The  distance  was  159  miles,  though  Colles's  map  of  the 
roads  of  the  United  States  in  1789  gives  it  as  1553^2  to 
the  ferry  at  Greenbush.  Every  one  who  could  do  so 
travelled  on  horseback,  as  the  stage  was  not  of  the  kind 
we  read  of  in  Dickens.  The  steamboat  and  the  railroad 
sealed  the  doom  of  the  old  stages. 

In  an  advertisement  of  181 1,  there  is  notice  of  the 
stage  to  Greenwich  Village,  and  even  earlier  there  was  a 
stage  to  Harlem.  In  1816,  Asa  Hall  started  a  stage  route 
from  the  Battery  via  Broadway  to  Greenwich,  which 
years  afterwards  came  into  the  possession  of  Kipp  & 
Brown ;  and  stages  ran  to  other  parts  of  the  island.  Kipp 
&  Brown  were  very  popular;  and  when  their  stables 
were  burned  out  in  1848  a  performance  was  given  at 
the  Broadway  Theatre  for  their  benefit.  In  18 19,  a 
stage  route  was  started  from  the  Bowling  Green  to 
Bloomingdale. 

For  the  city  travel,  these  stages  were  superseded  by 
the  omnibuses,  the  first  of  which  appeared  in  1830, 
running  from  the  Bowling  Green  via  Broadway  to 
Bleecker  Street;  but  the  drivers  were  obliging,  and 
if  the  weather  was  bad,  or  there  was  a  lady  passenger, 
the  bus  would  go  as  far  as  the  Kip  mansion  between 
Washington  Place  and  Waver ly  Place,  on  the  site  of  the 
New  York  Hotel.  The  buses,  at  first,  were  few  in  number, 
but  were  finely  painted  and  decorated,  bearing  the  names 
of  distinguished  Americans  upon  their  sides.  There  were 
the  Lady  Washington,  the  Lady  Clinton,  the  George  Wash- 
ington, the  De  Witt  Clinton,  the  Benjamin  Franklin,  and 
others.  Some  of  the  panels  with  which  the  buses  were 
decorated  were  true  works  of  art.  The  buses  became 
popular,  and  there  were  soon  three  lines,  run  by  Brower, 


146  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Jones,  and  Colvin;  the  fare  was  a  shilling  (twelve  and  a 
half  cents) ,  collected  by  a  small  boy  who  stood  at  the  en- 
trance step.  The  entrance  at  first  was  on  the  side  until 
Kipp  &  Brown  changed  it  to  the  rear  of  the  Greenwich 
buses,  and  the  others  followed  suit.  Other  stage  routes 
were  established  to  the  shipbuilding  section  on  the  east 
side,  to  Harlem,  to  Chelsea  (Shepherd  &  Johnson),  and 
to  other  places  on  the  island. 

The  omnibuses  were  drawn  by  four  matched  horses, 
and  there  was  great  rivalry  among  the  different  lines. 
The  drivers  were  wonderful  whips,  and  it  was  truly  a  mar- 
velous sight  to  see  the  dexterity  with  which  they  steered 
through  the  crowded  thoroughfare,  avoiding  accidents 
and  collisions  by  a  hair's  breadth.  In  the  winter  time 
great  sleighs,  drawn  by  four,  six,  or  eight  horses,  took 
the  place  of  the  buses,  and  the  New  York  boy  thought  he 
had  a  perfect  right  to  snowball  the  passengers  as  the  great 
sleighs  passed  by.  Many  people  took  the  sleighs  for  the 
pure  enjoyment  of  the  ride ;  and  as  there  were  no  car  tracks 
to  be  cleared,  the  snow  remained  in  the  street  for  weeks, 
making  a  long  spell  of  sleighing  weather.  The  doom  of 
the  stages  was  sealed  when  the  street  cars  came ;  though 
Broadway  stages  held  on  until  the  seventies,  because 
there  was  no  car  track  on  Broadway  and  the  people  were 
set  against  the  street  being  still  further  congested  in  its 
traffic  by  the  presence  of  surface  cars.  The  Fifth  Avenue 
fine  remained  as  a  relic  of  the  golden  era  of  the  omnibus ; 
it  "lagged  superfluous  on  the  stage"  and  was  the  butt  of 
many  jests  on  the  part  of  the  up-to-date  New  Yorker 
until  the  introduction  of  the  automobile  omnibus  in  July, 
1907,  though  experiments  with  electricity  and  gasoline 
motors  had  been  carried  on  since  1900.  Another  one  of 
the  lines,  started  in  1 819  from  the  Battery  to  Bloomingdale, 
gradually  worked  its  lower  terminus  up  Broadway  until 


From  the  Park  to  Canal  Street  147 


it  reached  the  starting-point  in  front  of  the  Union  Dime 
Savings  Bank  at  Broadway  and  Thirty-second  Street  in 
the  eighties  and  then  disappeared  from  human  ken. 

In  1746,  an  act  of  the  Provincial  Assembly  authorized 
the  holding  of  a  lottery  to  raise  a  sufficient  sum  of  money 
for  the  advancement  of  learning  within  the  colony,  "and 
Towards  the  Founding  a Colledge  within  the  same."  It 
took  many  lotteries  and  many  excise  moneys  before  a 
sufficient  sum  was  obtained  for  the  establishment  of  the 
desired  college.  Religious  controversies  arose  as  to  the 
management,  the  Presbyterian  and  the  Reformed  Dutch 
Churches  objecting  to  the  prospective  control  of  the  college 
by  the  Established  Church  when  all  of  the  colonists  were 
to  be  taxed  for  its  support.  Trinity  Church  gave  a  tract 
of  land  on  the  west  side  of  Broadway,  provided  the  presi- 
dent should  be  a  member  of  the  Church  of  England.  The 
differences  were  not  yet  healed  when  the  corner-stone  of 
King's  College  was  laid  in  1 756,  with  Dr.  Samuel  Johnson 
of  Stratford  in  Connecticut  as  the  first  president.  He 
was  succeeded,  in  1763,  by  Dr.  Myles  Cooper,  who 
remained  until  the  Revolution.  He  was  a  hot-headed 
royalist  and  took  the  wrong  side  in  the  dissensions  which 
arose  from  the  passage  of  the  Stamp  Act  onwards,  and 
when  the  news  of  Lexington  reached  New  York  barely 
escaped  from  maltreatment  by  a  mob  of  patriots. 

During  the  Revolution,  the  college  buildings  were  used 
as  barracks  and  hospitals  by  the  British,  and  the  college 
was  closed  as  an  institution  of  learning.  It  was  reopened 
in  1784  as  Columbia  College,  and  remained  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  Park  Place  until  1857,  when  it  was  removed  to 
Madison  Avenue  and  Forty-eighth  Street.  The  neighbor- 
hood of  the  college  at  Park  Place  was  the  location  of  the 
best  society  of  the  city  for  many  years. 

As  early  as  1770  several  physicians  notified  Lieutenant- 


148         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Governor  Colden  that  subscriptions  were  being  solicited 
for  the  establishment  of  a  public  hospital;  and  a  royal 
charter  was  obtained  the  following  year.  The  land 
secured  was  from  the  Rutgers  farm  and  was  considered 
far  out  of  town.  It  comprised  five  acres  on  the  west 
side  of  Broadway,  between  the  present  Duane  and 
Worth  streets,  Thomas  Street  being  cut  through  later. 
The  corner-stone  of  the  building  was  laid  by  Governor 
Tryon,  September  2,  1773.  The  building  was  partially 
burnt  before  completion,  but  was  repaired  and  was 
ready  for  occupancy  at  the  time  the  Revolution  began. 
It  was  located  on  the  Kalck  Hook,  a  hill  some  forty 
or  fifty  feet  high,  situated  on  the  line  of  Broadway, 
and,  therefore,  a  commanding  position  for  fortifica- 
tions, which  were  erected  here  by  the  British,  the 
hospital  building,  itself,  being  used  by  the  soldiers  and 
being  surrounded  by  a  fort. 

After  the  Revolution,  the  buildings  and  grounds  were 
put  in  order,  and  the  hospital  was  ready  for  the  reception 
of  patients  in  179 1.  In  1787  and  1788,  a  number  of  bodies 
for  the  purposes  of  dissection  by  the  students  were  dug  up 
from  the  potter's  field  and  from  the  old  negro  burial- 
ground.  These  were  legitimate  fields  for  cadavers;  but 
when  the  resurrectionists  began  to  invade  private  ceme- 
teries, the  indignation  of  the  people  was  aroused,  and  the 
medical  profession  was  looked  upon  with  scant  reverence 
by  the  people  at  large.  On  the  thirteenth  of  April,  1788, 
while  the  minds  of  the  people  were  in  this  agitated  state, 
some  students  at  the  hospital  exposed  the  limbs  of  a  body 
at  one  of  the  windows  in  full  view  of  a  group  of  boys  who 
were  at  play  near  the  building.  The  news  spread  like  light- 
ning, and  soon  an  enormous  crowd  assembled,  burst  open 
the  doors  of  the  hospital,  destroyed  a  valuable  collection  of 
anatomical  specimens,  and  carried  off  and  buried  several 


From  the  Park  to  Canal  Street  149 


subjects  which  they  found.  The  physicians  hid  them- 
selves, but  were  discovered  and  would  have  suffered 
severely  at  the  hands  of  the  infuriated  mob  if  the 
magistrates  had  not  interfered;  at  last,  the  mob  dis- 
persed, carrying  the  accounts  of  their  actions  to  all 
parts  of  the  city. 

The  next  morning  a  still  larger  crowd  gathered  with 
the  intention  of  searching  the  houses  of  all  suspected 
physicians;  but  owing  to  the  remonstrances  of  Clinton, 
Jay,  Hamilton,  and  others  of  the  leading  citizens,  the  mob 
dispersed.  The  students  were  removed  to  the  jail;  but 
in  the  afternoon  a  violent  party  gathered  about  the  jail 
and  demanded  the  surrender  of  the  students,  a  demand 
that  was,  of  course,  refused.  This  aroused  the  worst  spir- 
its of  the  mob ;  and  Mayor  Duane,  fearing  mob  violence, 
called  out  the  militia,  one  party  of  which  went  quietly  to 
the  jail  without  interference.  A  second  party  was  arrested 
and  disarmed  by  the  mob,  who  then  attempted  to  storm 
the  building.  The  mayor,  John  Jay,  and  others  attempted 
to  pacify  the  mob,  and  Jay  was  struck  by  a  brickbat  and 
felled  to  the  earth.  The  mayor  was  about  to  give  the  order 
to  fire,  when  Baron  Steuben  interposed  and  implored  him 
to  desist;  but  before  he  could  finish  his  entreaty,  a  stone 
whizzed  through  the  air  and  laid  him  prostrate.  "Fire, 
mayor,  fire!"  he  cried;  and  Mayor  Duane  gave  the  order; 
the  militia  blazed  away,  and  a  number  of  rioters  fell.  Five 
persons  were  killed  and  seven  or  eight  severely  wounded. 
The  students  were  sent  out  of  town,  and  the  public  excite- 
ment slowly  died  out,  though  it  was  a  long  time  before  the 
ignorant  could  look  upon  the  hospital  without  a  sort  of 
horror.  Thus  ended  what  is  known  in  New  York  history 
as  the  "Doctors'  Riot."  It  is  surprising  how  much 
trouble  can  sometimes  be  caused  by  the  pranks  of  thought- 
less students. 


150         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


The  grounds  of  the  hospital  extended  to  Church  Street, 
and  in  the  early  days  constituted  with  those  of  Columbia 
College  a  sort  of  park  in  which  were  to  be  found  some  of 
the  finest  trees  of  all  varieties  on  the  island  of  Manhattan. 
Adjoining  the  hospital  grounds  on  the  south  was  the 
tobacco  shop  of  John  Anderson.  His  assistant  in  the 
shop  was  Mary  Rogers,  a  handsome  brunette,  known  as 
"the  beautiful  cigar  girl."  She  received  a  good  deal  of 
admiring  attention  from  the  youth  of  the  period.  The 
whole  city  was  horrified  one  day  to  learn  that  her  lifeless 
body  had  been  found  floating  in  the  Hudson  near  the 
Elysian  Fields  in  Hoboken.  The  mystery  of  her  death 
has  never  been  solved,  but  her  sad  fate  furnished  Edgar 
Allan  Poe  with  his  story  of  The  Mystery  of  Marie 
Roget. 

In  1807,  a  lunatic  asylum  was  built  on  the  south  side 
of  the  New  York  Hospital  grounds  and  was  used  for  that 
purpose  until  1821,  when  the  asylum  was  removed  to 
Bloomingdale,  overlooking  the  Hudson.  The  beautiful 
lawn  and  grand  trees  of  the  old  hospital  formed  a  delight- 
ful relief  to  the  eye  amid  the  lines  of  brick  and  stone  that 
grew  up  on  each  side  of  Broadway;  and  the  spot  was  a 
favorite  one  with  the  firemen  and  others  when  they  held 
parades.  After  the  Civil  War,  the  property  became  too 
valuable  to  be  longer  used  for  hospital  purposes,  so  it 
was  cut  up  into  building  lots  and  sold,  while  the  grand  old 
trees  went  the  way  of  all  trees  that  stand  in  the  way  of  im- 
provement. The  original  building  was  vacated  February 
19,  1870.  The  hospital  then  remained  in  a  state  of  sus- 
pension until  the  property  on  Fifteenth  and  Sixteenth 
streets,  west  of  Fifth  Avenue,  was  obtained.  The  new 
hospital  on  that  site  was  begun  in  May,  1875,  and  opened 
on  March  16,  1877. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century,  the  city 


152         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


extended  as  far  north  on  Broadway  as  Anthony  (Worth) 
Street;  on  the  North  River,  as  far  as  Harrison  Street,  and 
on  the  East  River,  as  far  as  Rutgers  Street.  Above  Worth 
Street  there  was  a  hilly  country,  sloping  on  the  east  toward 
the  Freshwater,  and  on  the  west  toward  the  Lispenard 
meadows  and  the  Hudson,  and  dotted  with  the  country 
seats  of  wealthy  citizens.  The  Middle  road  ended  at  the 
present  Astor  Place,  where  a  pale  fence  stretched  across  the 
road  and  formed  the  southern  boundary  of  the  Randall 
farm .  When  Broadway  was  regulated  and  graded  through 
this  section  as  far  as  Canal  Street,  there  was  considerable 
grading  to  be  done ;  the  deepest  cut  was  on  the  hill  south 
of  Canal  Street,  between  White  and  Walker,  where  the 
street  had  to  be  lowered  twenty-three  feet ;  over  the  ditch 
in  the  valley  there  was  considerable  filling  in. 

When  the  old  palisade  on  Wall  Street  was  removed 
(i  699) ,  it  was  necessary  that  there  should  be  some  northern 
line  of  defensive  fortifications ;  and  a  palisade,  following  the 
configuration  of  the  land  approximately  on  the  line  north 
of  Chambers  Street,  was  erected  from  river  to  river.  In 
1756,  during  the  French  and  Indian  War,  a  row  of  one- 
story  log  huts,  surrounded  by  a  high  wall,  was  erected  on 
the  negro  burial-ground  close  to  the  line  of  the  palisades. 
These  extended  from  Broadway  to  Chatham  Street  and 
were  used  as  barracks  for  the  soldiers.  After  the  Revo- 
lution, these  buildings  were  in  a  dilapidated  condition; 
but  in  1794  they  were  leased  by  the  corporation  as  dwell- 
ings and  were  occupied  by  free  negroes  and  Indians 
engaged  in  broom-  and  basket-making.  They  did  not  long 
survive,  however,  but  gave  way  to  houses  of  a  better 
character,  Chambers  Street  being  opened  in  1796. 

At  this  date,  there  were  several  houses  on  Broadway, 
one  being  occupied  by  the  Widow  Provoost ;  on  the  corner 
of  Reade  Street  there  was  a  stable.    In  18 10  the  con- 


From  the  Park  to  Canal  Street  153 


struction  of  Washington  Hall  was  begun,  taking  up  about 
half  the  block  on  the  east  side  between  Chambers  and 
Reade  streets;  it  was  completed  in  18 12.  The  building 
was  one  of  the  finest  in  the  city  and  was  to  be  used  as  a 
hotel  and  meeting-place,  especially  of  the  Federalists,  as 
an  offset  to  Tammany  Hall,  the  rendezvous  of  the  Repub- 


From  Valentine's  History  of  Broadway 

WASHINGTON  HALL  IN  1828 

licans.  On  the  twenty-second  of  February,  1813,  during 
the  war  with  Great  Britain,  Captain  James  Lawrence  in 
command  of  the  Hornet  defeated  and  sank  the  British 
Peacock.  Upon  Lawrence's  visit  to  New  York  in  May, 
he  was  given  the  freedom  of  the  city  and  was  tendered  a 
great  banquet  at  Washington  Hall  on  the  fourth.  Before 
the  month  was  out,  he  was  in  Boston  in  command  of  the 


154         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Chesapeake,  and  within  a  month  of  the  banquet  in  his 
honor,  Lawrence  was  dead.  At  the  conclusion  of  the 
war,  a  great  ball  was  given  at  the  Hall  in  honor  of  the 
return  of  peace,  and  among  the  participants  were  the  best 
people  of  the  city.  In  1816,  according  to  Haswell,  there 
were  only  two  billiard  rooms  in  the  city,  one  at  the  Cafe 
Francais  in  Warren  Street,  and  the  other  in  Washington 
Hall.  James  Fenimore  Cooper  originated  a  club  in  1824 
which  met  at  Washington  Hall ;  this  was  the  ' '  Bread  and 
Cheese  Club,"  which  numbered  among  its  members  the 
most  eminent  scholars  and  professional  men  of  New  York. 
Among  these  were  Halleck,  the  poet;  De  Kay,  the  natural- 
ist ;  William  and  John  Duer,  representing  the  bar ;  Renwick, 
philosophy;  Verplanck  and  King,  letters;  Charles  Davis 
and  Philip  Hone,  merchants,  and  several  who  were  poli- 
ticians. It  received  its  curious  name  from  the  fact  that 
in  balloting  for  membership,  bread  signified  aye,  and 
cheese  no. 

The  litterateurs,  dramatists,  actors,  and  others  of  this 
period  have  been  styled  the  "Knickerbocker  Authors," 
the  writers  of  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth  century,  who 
by  their  work  rendered  idle  the  sneer  of  the  English  that 
America  had  no  literature  and  that  we  were  a  race  of  crib- 
bers  and  copyists.  The  taunt  was  certainly  well  deserved 
in  our  early  days,  for  our  journals,  and  especially  our  first 
magazines,  were  nothing  better  than  reproductions  of  the 
critiques,  essays,  poems,  and  other  articles  of  the  English 
journals.  Irving  and  Cooper  did  an  inestimable  service 
to  American  literature  by  convincing  Englishmen  that  we 
could  do  original  writing,  and  Nathaniel  P.  Willis  consti- 
tuted the  last  of  a  triumvirate  whose  work  was  recognized 
across  the  water  as  being  worthy  and  distinctive — in  fact, 
the  recognition  of  their  literary  ability  came  from  the 
other  side  first,  and  it  needed  the  British  stamp  of  ap- 


From  the  Park  to  Canal  Street  155 


proval  before  they  were  fully  accepted  by  our  own  people. 
Cooper  and  Irving  are  still  read  abroad,  but  who  in 
America  reads  either  of  them  to-day,  and  how  many  of 
our  omnivorous  novel  readers  have  ever  heard  of  Willis, 
the  Beau  Brummel  of  that  era  and  the  editor  of  the  Home 
Journal? 

Among  other  contributors  to  the  "Knickerbocker 
Literature"  were  some  whose  names  have  endured,  as 
William  Cullen  Bryant  and  Edgar  Allan  Poe;  but  how 
many  know  of  James  K.  Paulding,  the  colleague  of  Irving 
in  the  Salmagundi  papers,  or  of  Gulian  C.  Verplanck? 
Fitz-Greene  Halleck,  the  first  American  writer  to  have  a 
statue  erected  to  him  in  New  York,  is  known  to  every 
schoolboy  as  the  author  of  Marco  Bozzaris  and  as  the 
author  of  those  tender  and  beautiful  lines  on  the  death  of 
his  friend  Drake : 

Green  be  the  turf  above  thee, 

Friend  of  my  better  days! 
None  knew  thee  but  to  love  thee, 

Nor  named  thee  but  to  praise. 

That  friend,  Joseph  Rodman  Drake,  is  known,  of 
course,  throughout  the  wide  extent  of  the  land  as  the 
author  of  that  poem  of  glowing  patriotism,  The  Ameri- 
can Flag;  but  who  knows  of  his  Culprit  Fay,  his  To 
the  Bronx,  and  other  exquisite  poems?  The  same  ques- 
tion may  be  asked  in  regard  to  others  of  that  enthusi- 
astic coterie.  George  P.  Morris  is  known  as  the  author 
of  one  poem,  Woodman,  Spare  that  Tree,  and  Samuel 
Woodworth  as  the  author  of  The  Old  Oaken  Bucket; 
but  outside  of  these  their  work  is  unknown  except  to 
the  student  of  American  literature.  Perhaps,  after  all, 
their  cases  and  those  of  their  contemporaries  are  only 
proofs  of  the  universal  law  of  the  "survival  of  the  fittest," 


156         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


as  exemplified  in  their  appearing  at  all  in  anthologies  of 
American  verse.  In  literature,  as  in  education,  there 
must  be  selection.  Life  is  too  short  to  read  everything 
or  to  learn  everything;  and  the  anthologist  selects  that 
which  is  best,  or  most  popular — they  are,  by  no  means, 
synonymous. 

Others  of  the  group  were  Bayard  Taylor,  Dr.  Gris- 
wold,  Richard  Henry  Stoddard,  Charles  Fenno  Hoffman, 
and,  later,  Edmund  Clarence  Stedman;  and  among  the 
journalists  were  Charles  Dana,  James  Gordon  Bennett, 
Horace  Greeley,  William  Cullen  Bryant,  and  William 
L.  Stone. 

We  are  more  or  less  familiar  with  the  features  of 
Cooper,  Irving,  Bryant,  Taylor,  and  others;  but  they  are 
portraits  taken  in  later  life.  It  is  hard  for  us  to  realize 
that  these  men  were  once  young  and  that  their  youth  was 
remarkable  for  its  gaiety,  if  we  except  the  greatest  genius 
of  them  all,  Edgar  Allan  Poe.  They  were  full  of  the  wine 
of  life,  endowed  with  the  creative,  imaginative,  and  poetic 
temperament.  Their  gatherings  were  jovial  and  friendly, 
and  their  feasts  by  no  means  patterned  after  those  of 
Barmecide.  These  were  the  men  who  entertained 
Dickens  and  Thackeray  at  stately  banquets  at  the  City 
Hotel  or  Washington  Hall  or  at  less  conventional,  but 
probably  more  enjoyable,  private  affairs.  The  Irvings 
and  their  closest  friends  cut  up  "high  jinks"  when  they 
went  down  to  Cockloft  Hall  on  the  Passaic  near  Newark, 
which  appears  so  often  in  the  Salmagundi  papers.  Their 
satire  was  not  always  gentle,  and  there  are  accounts  of 
challenges  to  the  duelling  ground  at  Weehawken,  when 
some  butt  felt  himself  too  much  aggrieved  at  newspaper 
articles.  The  telegraph,  the  telephone,  the  steam  rail- 
road, the  horse  car,  even,  did  not  exist;  and  there  were  not 
that  rush  and  bustle,  that  desire  to  make  a  "beat" 


From  the  Park  to  Canal  Street  157 


which  distinguish  the  journalist  of  to-day.  There  was 
more  leisure  time  for  a  stroll  along  Broadway,  or  to  take 
one's  stand  at  the  City  Hotel,  the  Astor  House,  or  Wash- 
ington Hall  and  admire  the  crowds  of  beautiful  women 
engaged  in  the  delightful  feminine  occupation  of  shopping 
at  Jotham  Smith's,  Stewart's,  or  the  other  shops  in  these 
neighborhoods — the  fair  shoppers  probably  not  unmindful 
of  the  admiring  glances  cast  upon  them.* 

Irving,  of  course,  was  the  creator  of  Diedrich  Knick- 
erbocker, that  fine  old  Dutch  historian,  who  is  the  symbol 
of  New  York  just  as  much  as  John  Bull  is  of  England,  or 
Uncle  Sam  of  the  United  States.  Our  New  York  writers 
were  the  first  in  the  land,  antedating  by  several  years  the 
brilliant  galaxy  which  made  Boston  almost  synonymous 
with  culture.  Halleck,  Bryant,  Willis,  and  others  were 
New  Englanders,  who  sought  the  city  for  that  encourage- 
ment and  opportunity  they  could  not  get  elsewhere,  for 
here  were  the  publishers  and  the  magazines.  Some  of  these 
were  the  Mirror,  the  Broadway  Journal,  edited  by  Poe, 
and  the  Knickerbocker,  which,  if  it  did  not  make  its  con- 
tributors rich,  at  least  added  to  the  reputation  and 
power  of  its  editor,  Lewis  Gaylord  Clark. 

George  P.  Putnam  first  established  himself  as  a 
publisher  at  155  Broadway,  almost  within  the  shadow  of 
the  City  Hotel.  The  rhymed  title-page  of  the  Fable 
for  Critics  ends  with 

Set  forth  in  October,  the  31st  day, 

In  the  year  '48,  G.  P.  Putnam,  Broadway. 

Putnam  moved  in  1849  to  Park  Place,  where  the  second 
edition  of  the  Fable  was  brought  out;  but  by  a  curious 

*  For  a  delightful  account  of  many  of  the  leading  literary  lights  of  this 
period,  one  should  read  Richard  Henry  Stoddard's  Recollections,  Personal 
and  Literary. 


158         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


oversight,  the  title-page  was  not  re-edited,  and  the 
"G.  P.  Putnam,  Broadway,"  stood  as  in  the  first  edition. 
Hawthorne's  first  novel  was  published  by  the  same  house, 
but  it  was  not  a  success.  In  1853,  Putnam's  Monthly 
was  first  published  at  321  Broadway,  adjoining  the  Hos- 
pital. It  was  the  first  of  the  magazines  which  might  be 
called  American  ;  that  is,  it  was  not  made  up  of  extracts 
from  the  British  periodicals  with  a  few  poems  and  minor 
articles  by  American  writers,  for  which  very  little,  if  any- 
thing, was  paid.  Putnam's,  on  the  contrary,  solicited 
work  from  American  authors,  to  whom  it  paid  at  least 
five  dollars  a  page  for  prose  and  ten  dollars  for  a  poem. 
It  ceased  publication  in  the  panic  of  1857,  to  resume 
again  after  the  Civil  War;  but  it  was  finally  merged  in 
Scribner's  Magazine,  and  that  in  the  Century. 

Booksellers  and  publishers  grew  with  the  advance- 
ment of  an  American  literature  and  followed  the  fashion- 
able folk  up  town  from  below  Canal  Street.  Twenty-five 
years  ago,  many  of  the  book-houses  were  located  on  or 
near  Broadway  from  Spring  Street  northward;  now  we 
find  most  of  them  above  Fourteenth  Street  as  far  as  the 
Forties ;  but  they  have  deserted  Broadway. 

Dr.  William  Langstaff  was  an  intimate  friend  of 
Drake  and  Halleck,  and  his  shop  at  360  Broadway  was  a 
favorite  lounging-place  of  the  two  poets.  Langstaff  had 
been  unsuccessful  as  a  physician,  and  was  set  up  in  busi- 
ness by  his  friend,  Henry  Eckford,  who  also  paid  his 
expenses  abroad,  where  he  went  with  Drake  and  the 
latter's  wife. 

In  1828,  Thomas  Hogg  was  located  as  a  florist  in  the 
Bowery,  but  removed  to  388  Broadway  in  1832;  he  was 
probably  the  first  florist  in  the  city.  His  nurseries,  as 
we  would  call  them  to-day,  were  on  the  Bloomingdale 
Road  near  Twenty-third  Street,  and  were  known  in  those 


From  the  Park  to  Canal  Street  159 


days  as  Hogg  s  Gardens,  an  objective  point  to  which  to 
drive  from  the  city. 

One  of  the  houses  on  the  same  block  as  Washington 
Hall  contained  two  stores  about  twelve  feet  wide,  one  of 
which  was  occupied  by  A.  T.  Stewart.  Stewart's  career 
exemplifies  the  opportunities  of  this  land  better,  probably, 
than  that  of  any  one  else,  if  we  except  John  Jacob  Astor. 
Stewart  came  to  this  city  in  1823  at  the  age  of  twenty, 
just  after  his  graduation  from  Trinity  College,  Dublin. 
He  readily  found  employment  here  as  a  teacher  of  modern 
languages  and  mathematics,  in  a  private  school  in  Roose- 
velt Street,  and  he  stumbled  into  the  dry-goods  business 
almost  by  accident.  A  friend  with  whom  he  became  in- 
timate asked  him  for  a  loan  of  money  with  which  to  start 
a  dry-goods  store,  and  Stewart  advanced  the  money. 
The  friend  was  unable  to  begin  business  after  he  bought 
his  stock;  and  Stewart,  rather  than  lose  his  money,  de- 
cided to  open  the  store  himself.  This  he  did,  first  going 
to  Ireland,  where  he  converted  all  he  had  into  cash,  and 
returned  with  a  stock  of  Belfast  laces.  He  struggled 
along  as  best  he  could;  but  he  did  not  make  much  head- 
way, and  found  out  very  soon  that  he  would  be  unable  to 
meet  a  note  which  was  falling  due.  He  marked  his  goods 
down  to  wholesale  prices  and  flooded  the  town  with  ad- 
vertisements of  the  remarkable  bargains  he  had  to  offer. 
Customers  flocked  to  his  store,  and  he  soon  had  closed 
out  his  stock  for  enough  to  pay  his  note  and  restock  his 
store.  His  customers  found  they  had  good  bargains,  and 
continued  to  trade  with  him,  and  his  business  grew. 
He  had  learned  one  lesson,  however,  which  he  practised 
through  his  subsequent  career — and  that  was  not  to  buy 
on  credit. 

At  first  he  was  his  own  clerk,  porter,  office  boy,  and 
everything  else;  but  he  was  able  to  move  from  Number 


i6o         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


283  Broadway  in  1827  to  a  larger  store  at  Number  262, 
and  not  long  afterward,  in  1830,  to  Number  257.  April 
7,  1844,  Stewart  bought  from  the  heirs  of  John  G.  Coster, 
Washington  Hall  and  its  site,  and  proposed  to  turn  it 
into  a  dry-goods  store;  but  the  building  was  burned  on 
July  fifth.  The  construction  of  his  new  building,  which 
now  occupies  the  entire  block  between  Chambers  and 
Reade  Streets,  was  at  once  begun,  and  the  original  part, 
about  half  the  block,  was  completed  and  opened  for  busi- 
ness in  1845.  By  1862,  the  uptown  movement  of  busi- 
ness and  population  was  pronounced;  and  his  business 
had  so  increased  that  he  erected  the  store  at  Broadway 
and  Tenth  Street,  gradually  increasing  it  until  he  had 
the  whole  block  to  Ninth  Street,  and  from  Broadway  to 
Fourth  Avenue. 

Stewart  was  also  a  great  buyer  of  real  estate,  second 
only  to  Astor,  and  when  he  died,  was  the  richest  merchant 
in  the  world,  his  estate  being  valued  at  fifty  millions  of 
dollars.  There  was  much  litigation  over  it,  as  he  left  no 
direct  heirs;  and  the  stealing  of  his  body  from  St.  Mark's 
churchyard  was  more  than  a  nine-days'  sensation.  His 
business  enterprises  went  through  several  hands  before 
they  came  into  those  of  John  Wanamaker,  the  great 
Philadelphia  merchant,  who  continues  the  uptown  store. 
The  lower  business  was  discontinued,  and  the  edifice  was 
converted  into  the  Stewart  office  building,  in  which  are 
housed  several  of  the  departments  of  the  municipal  gov- 
ernment. The  site  has  been  considered  several  times  for 
a  new  municipal  building,  but  the  Centre  Street  site  was 
finally  selected  in  1909,  and  the  building  is  now  in  course 
of  construction. 

In  the  days  when  Stewart  first  opened  his  marble 
store  between  Chambers  and  Reade  Street,  the  opposite 
corner  was  occupied  by  the  Irving  House,  a  fashionable 


From  the  Park  to  Canal  Street  161 


hostelry,  extending  from  Number  273  to  Number  287^. 
Ball,  Black,  &  Co.,  the  jewellers,  were  located  at  the  corner 
of  Murray  Street  for  some  years,  moving  later  to  the 
neighborhood  of  Houston  Street  and  then  to  Fifth  Avenue, 
where  they  became  Hays  &  Co.  In  an  illustrated  paper 
of  1858,  their  store  at  Murray  Street,  and  many  other 


EAST  SIDE  OF  BROADWAY,  BETWEEN  DUANE  AND  PEARL  STREETS,  IN  I807 


points  on  Broadway,  are  shown  as  decorated  and  illumi- 
nated on  September  first  of  that  year  in  honor  of  the 
laying  of  the  Atlantic  cable  by  Cyrus  W.  Field. 

The  same  rule  held  in  this  portion  of  Broadway  as  in 
the  section  below  the  Park — the  east  side  of  the  street 
was  occupied  at  first  by  meaner  buildings,  which  gave 
place  to  those  of  a  better  quality  before  1815.    The  first 
11 


1 62  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


residence  of  any  degree  of  elegance  was  that  erected  by 
David  Clarkson  opposite  the  New  York  Hospital,  at 
which  point  the  proposed  sidewalks  were  to  stop — this 
was  before  1800.  Numbers  306  and  308  were  exceptions 
to  the  rule,  being  three-story  brick  buildings  of  good 
quality.  About  18 18  a  fine  house  was  erected  at  306  by 
John  McKesson,  and  seems  to  have  been  a  favorite  with 
drug  merchants,  for  it  was  occupied  later  by  H.  H. 
Schieffelin. 

Several  of  the  frame  buildings  between  Duane  and 
Pearl  Streets  were  demolished  in  1826  to  make  way  for 
Masonic  Hall.  This  was  a  fine,  Gothic  structure  in- 
tended for  the  purposes  of  the  Masonic  fraternity.  The 
second  floor  was  considered  the  most  splendid  apartment 
of  the  kind  in  the  United  States,  being  ninety-five  feet 
long,  forty-seven  feet  wide,  and  twenty-five  feet  high. 
The  room  was  an  imitation  of  the  Chapel  of  Henry  VIII. 
in  London,  and  was  designed  for  public  meetings,  con- 
certs, balls,  and  similar  functions. 

The  same  year  that  the  Hall  was  erected,  William 
Morgan,  a  member  of  the  Masonic  order  living  in  Batavia, 
threatened  to  divulge  the  secrets  of  the  organization. 
He  was  arrested  on  trumped-up  charges  and  put  in  jail,  in 
order  to  prevent  him  from  making  the  anticipated  dis- 
closures. He  was  taken  secretly  from  the  jail  by  a  party 
of  Masons  to  Fort  Niagara,  where  he  remained  several 
days  as  a  prisoner,  and  then  was  seen  no  more.  A  body 
was  found  in  the  Niagara  River  which  was  identified  as 
that  of  Morgan,  though  the  identification  was  after- 
ward discredited.  "It  was  a  good  enough  Morgan  until 
after  election,"  was  the  remark  made  by  a  political  leader 
of  the  anti-Masonic  party ;  and  so  it  proved.  The  whole 
affair  was  investigated  by  committees  of  successive 
Legislatures,  but  nothing  positive  as  to  his  fate  has  ever 


From  the  Park  to  Canal  Street  163 


been  determined.  The  Morgan  affair,  however,  was 
sufficient  to  arouse  the  passions  of  the  people  of  the  State ; 
and  Freemasonry  was  so  decried  on  all  sides  that  it 
became  extremely  unpopular.    The  politicians  took  hold 


MASONIC  HALL,  ON  THE  EAST  SIDE  OF  BROADWAY,  BETWEEN  DUANE 
AND  PEARL  STREETS,  183O 


of  the  matter,  and  exploited  it  for  their  own  purposes, 
so  that  for  a  number  of  years,  anti- Masonry  was  one  of  the 
planks  in  the  political  platforms  of  the  warring  parties, 
even  spreading  to  other  states.  Under  such  circum- 
stances, Masonry  received  "a  black  eye"  from  which  it 


164         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


did  not  recover  for  many  years;  and  Masonic  Hall  lost 
its  popularity.  In  1841,  it  changed  hands,  the  original 
stockholders  receiving  neither  principal  nor  interest  for 
their  investment.  The  building  then  became  known  as 
Gothic  Hall,  and  was  used  as  a  concert  hall  and  for  public 
meetings  of  various  kinds,  but  was  demolished  after 
about  twenty  years  of  existence,  and  made  way  for  fine 
business  buildings  at  314  and  316  Broadway. 

Above  Anthony  Street,  but  one  house  had  been  erected 
previous  to  1800.  The  property  belonged  to  a  Mr.  Sny- 
der who  conducted  a  brewery  between  Pearl  and  Anthony 
Streets.  After  his  death,  his  widow  married  Anthony 
Steenbach,  who  continued  the  brewery  in  connection  with 
James  Brown;  their  houses  stood  at  the  southeast  and 
northeast  corners  of  Anthony  Street.  Within  a  decade 
afterwards  several  fine  residences  were  erected  on  the 
block.  On  the  next  block  above,  between  Catherine 
Lane  and  Leonard  Street,  there  was  a  grocery  store  oc- 
cupied by  Cahoone  and  the  hardware  store  of  Stephen 
Conover,  established  in  1810,  developing  later  into  the 
firm  of  Conover  &  Co.,  dealers  in  tiles,  mantels,  etc. 
These  buildings  gave  way  in  1840  to  the  building  of  the 
Society  Library,  used  occasionally  for  entertainments. 
This  Society  had  been  started  in  1754,  and  incorporated  in 
1772,  the  books  being  stored  in  the  old  City  Hall  in  Wall 
Street.  During  the  Revolution,  the  library  was  looted 
by  the  British  soldiers,  and  the  books  hawked  about  the 
streets,  and  sold  for  drink,  so  that  few  of  them  remained 
when  the  Americans  came  into  their  own  again.  The 
Society  started  once  more  in  1793  in  Nassau  Street,  re- 
moving later  to  Chambers  Street,  where  it  remained  until 
1840,  when  it  removed  to  the  above  site  on  Broadway. 
It  was  soon  crowded  out  of  this  last  place  by  the  upward 
trend  of  business  in  1853,  and  removed  temporarily  to 


APOLLO  ROOMS  IN  183O 


165 


1 66  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


the  Bible  House,  and  to  its  present  home  in  University 
Place  in  1857.  The  vacated  building  on  Broadway  was 
occupied  by  D.  Appleton  &  Co.,  the  publishers. 

Edward  Windust  conducted  one  of  the  most  famous 
oyster  cellars  in  the  city.  It  was  situated  on  Park  Row, 
not  far  from  the  Park  Row  Theatre,  and  was  the  resort 
of  actors  and  literati.  To  give  a  list  of  its  patrons  would 
be  to  print  a  roster  of  the  famous  actors  who  made  the 
old  Park  famous.  Windust  waxed  rich,  and  about  1836 
he  opened  the  Athenaeum  Hotel,  corner  of  Broadway  and 
Leonard  Street;  but  his  trade  did  not  follow  him,  and 
Windust  was  only  too  glad  to  return  to  his  former  loca- 
tion, to  find,  alas !  that  his  trade  had  deserted  him. 

The  property  on  the  block  between  Leonard  and 
Franklin  Streets  was  occupied  by  David  Clarkson  until 
1808,  when  he  sold  out  for  $30,000  to  Rufus  King  and 
John  Lawrence,  who  cut  the  property  up  into  building 
lots.  The  land  extended  about  one  hundred  and  sixty 
feet  on  Broadway,  with  a  depth  of  three  hundred  and 
eighty  feet.  A  panoramic  exhibition  was  conducted 
here  in  1810  by  John  J.  Holland,  but  within  five  years 
afterwards  fine  residences  were  constructed.  Numbers 
350  and  352  were  owned  by  Thomas  Cooper,  the  tra- 
gedian, and  Stephen  Price,  joint  lessees  of  the  Park 
Theatre.  Their  houses  were  joined  together  about  1850, 
after  the  death  of  Price,  and  conducted  for  several 
years  as  the  Carlton  House,  which  gave  way  in  turn  to 
the  wholesale  dry-goods  house  of  E.  S.  Jaffray  &  Co. 

Between  Franklin  and  Canal  Streets,  a  great  part  of 
the  land  belonged  to  the  Van  Cortlandts;  and  other  lots, 
including  the  old  Colles  reservoir  at  White  Street,  be- 
longed to  the  city.  There  was  little  improvement  here 
until  after  181 5,  though  in  1795  there  appears  an  adver- 
tisement of  Rickett's  Amphitheatre,  which  stood  on  three 


From  the  Park  to  Canal  Street  167 


lots  north  of  White  Street  and  which  was  used  as  a  circus 
and  for  panoramic  and  theatrical  shows.  Within  five 
years  later  the  erection  of  fine  residences  began;  among 
the  public  buildings  on  the  two  blocks  between  White  and 
Canal  Streets  were  Florence's  Hotel,  Concert  Hall  at 
404,  Enterprise  Hall  at  410,  and  the  Apollo  Gallery  at 
412. 

There  were  several  characters  to  be  seen  on  Broad- 
way in  those  early  days,  threescore  of  years  ago.  Promi- 
nent among  these  was  McDonald  Clarke,  familiarly 
known  as  "the  mad  poet."  He  had  no  ostensible  means 
of  support,  but  his  friends  saw  that  he  did  not  want. 
Occasionally  a  set  of  verses  over  his  signature  would  ap- 
pear in  print ;  and,  as  they  were  always  love  sonnets  of  a 
melancholy  type,  it  was  believed  that  the  poet's  madness 
was  due  to  disappointed  love.  Another  character  was  the 
"Gingerbread"  man,  a  harmless  lunatic,  who  was  al- 
ways seen  on  the  trot  as  if  anxious  to  get  somewhere,  but 
who  never  succeeded  in  getting  to  his  destination,  where- 
ever  it  was.  He  received  his  odd  name  from  the  fact 
that  his  only  visible  diet  was  composed  of  the  grotesque 
gingerbread  figures  which  were  common  enough  in  all 
bakeshops  until  a  few  years  ago.  His  pockets  were  usually 
well  supplied  with  these  delectable  articles;  he  would  be 
seen  to  take  one  out,  munch  it,  and  then  run  along  on  his 
usual  trot  to  a  street  pump,  take  a  drink  of  water,  and 
then  resume  his  never-ending  journey  to  nowhere.  An- 
other personage  was  the  "Lime-Kiln"  man,  also  a  harm- 
less lunatic,  whose  clothes  were  always  streaked  with 
whitewash.  It  was  surmised  that  he  slept  in  the  vacant 
lime-kilns  that  stood  on  the  shore  of  the  river,  and  the 
finding  at  last  of  his  dead  body  in  one  of  these  gave  con- 
firmation to  the  story.  The  identity  of  these  two  way- 
farers has  remained  a  mystery. 


1 68  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Of  a  different  class  from  these  three,  was  "Dandy" 
Cox,  a  good-looking,  showy  mulatto,  who  made  a  living 
by  repairing  men's  clothes;  and  a  very  good  living  too, 
if  we  are  to  judge  by  his  appearance  in  public  with  his 
high-stepping  horse,  his  brilliant,  not  to  say  gaudy,  ap- 
parel, with  his  little  darky  tiger  hanging  on  behind  his 
high  two-wheeled  vehicle.  Cox  was  a  caricature  of  the 
ultra-fashionables  of  the  period,  but  his  showy  appear- 
ance on  Broadway  was  as  good  an  advertisement  as  any 
Barnum  could  concoct.  An  adventurer  who  cut  a  wide 
swath  in  society  for  a  time  was  the  bogus  Baron  Von  Hoff- 
man, who  came  near  to  marrying  one  of  the  rich  society 
belles.  His  imposture  was  detected,  and  he  made  a  pre- 
tence of  shooting  himself.  The  Evening  Post  of  June  12, 
1823,  says :  "Baron  Von  Hoffman  of  Sirony,  who  used  to 
serenade  our  ladies  with  the  Tyrolese  air  so  merrily,  under 
their  windows  on  Broadway,  a  year  or  two  ago,  and  one 
day  took  French  leave  of  them  all,  now  shows  away  as 
one  of  the  '  nobility  and  persons  of  distinction  in  Dublin.'  " 
Halleck  followed  this  up  with  an  ode  addressed  to  the 
vanished  "Baron." 

How  light  was  thy  heart  till  thy  money  was  gone ! 
And  when  all  was  gone,  't  was  the  devil  to  find  thee; 
The  nest  still  remained,  but  the  eagle  was  flown. 

One  of  the  two  four-in-hand  teams  known  to  the  Knick- 
erbocker era  was  that  owned  and  driven  by  Henry  Marx, 
a  noted  fop  of  the  day  with  independent  means,  who  had 
the  courage  to  depart  from  the  sombre  dress  of  the  period 
and  appear  in  habiliments  expressing  his  own  fancy;  in 
consequence,  he  was  known  as  "Dandy"  Marx.  He  was 
the  first  man  to  appear  on  Broadway  with  a  waxed 
moustache.    He  originated  and  commanded  a  company 


From  the  Park  to  Canal  Street  169 


of  hussars  which  became  famous  among  the  militia  of 
the  city  and  which  had  enrolled  in  its  ranks  the  young 
fellows  of  the  best  families  of  the  city — a  forerunner  of 
Squadron  "A."  Marx  himself  belonged  to  one  of  the 
leading  families,  and  though  handsome,  manly,  and  gen- 
erous, died  a  bachelor. 

Another  wretched  individual  who  haunted  Broadway 
and  the  publishers  there  was  Poe,  who  made  double 
money  on  more  than  one  occasion  by  selling  the  same 
poem  or  article  to  two  different  magazines — one  of  the 
vagaries  of  his  genius,  a  lack  of  conscience.  Upon  one 
occasion  he  entered  the  office  of  Mr.  Putnam  on  Broad- 
way and,  like  Coleridge's  ancient  mariner,  fixed  the  pub- 
lisher with  "glittering  eye."  "I  am  Mr.  Poe."  Mr. 
Putnam  was  all  attention  at  this  self-introduction  from 
the  author  of  The  Raven  and  The  Gold  Bug.  The  visitor 
then  went  on  to  explain  that  he  had  a  new  theory  of  the 
universe,  in  comparison  with  which  Newton's  discovery 
of  gravitation  was  a  mere  incident.  He  called  for  pen, 
ink,  and  paper  and  was  soon  furiously  at  work.  The 
publisher  left  the  office  to  go  home,  the  bookkeeper  also 
left,  and  finally  the  porter,  who  put  the  poet  out.  Poe 
returned  the  next  day,  and  continued  at  work  and  com- 
pleted his  paper  on  the  third  day,  working  at  high  pres- 
sure in  a  half -intoxicated  condition.  After  receiving  two 
advances  from  the  publisher  for  his  work,  the  poet  de- 
manded a  third;  and,  upon  being  refused,  threatened  to 
take  a  copy  and  sell  to  another  publisher.  Poe  was  very 
optimistic  about  this  work — Eureka,  a  Prose  Poem — 
and  wanted  Putnam  to  issue  a  first  edition  of  one  mil- 
lion copies ;  the  publisher  printed  seven  hundred  and  fifty, 
two  thirds  of  which  were  on  the  shelves  at  the  end  of  the 
year.  In  this  new  theory  of  the  universe  it  seems  that  Poe 
may  have  forestalled  the  nebular  hypothesis  as  put  forth 


170         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


by  the  astronomers.  Whether  it  was  an  inspiration  on 
his  part,  or  whether  he  had  picked  up  some  stray  facts 
in  regard  to  it  from  various  scientific  articles,  who  can 
say? 


CHAPTER  VIII 


FROM  CANAL  STREET  TO  UNION  SQUARE 


YINO  northeast  of  the  City  Hall 
Park  was  the  pond  which  has  been 
frequently  mentioned  in  these 
pages,  the  Collect,  or  Freshwater. 
It  had  outlets  to  both  the  East 
River  and  to  the  Hudson,  and  it 
had  been  proposed  several  times 
from  very  early  days  to  connect 
the  two  rivers  by  a  canal  across  the  island,  making 
of  the  Collect  an  inland  harbor,  or  basin.  Near  the 
North  River,  the  little  stream  found  its  way  through 
swamps  and  meadow  land,  which  were  known  as  Lis- 
penard's  Meadows  after  the  owner,  Leonard  Lispenard, 
who  had  married  the  daughter  of  Anthony  Rutgers,  the 
original  grantee  from  the  city  in  1 730.  Under  the  terms 
of  his  grant,  Rutgers  was  obliged  to  drain  the  land;  bur 
it  was  not  until  1792  that  steps  were  taken  to  render  the 
land  useful  for  building  purposes.  Then  followed  plan 
after  plan  for  disposing  of  the  water  of  the  Collect  and  its 
outlets;  and  these  were  of  such  diverging  character  that 
in  the  multitude  of  schemes  nothing  was  done.  At  last, 
in  1808,  the  proprietors  of  adjoining  lands  in  despair 
at  the  inactivity  of  the  local  authorities,  petitioned  the 

171 


172 


The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Legislature  for  the  appointment  of  a  commission  that 
would  adopt  and  carry  out  any  one  plan,  however  im- 
perfect, rather  than  that  they  should  continue  to  be  held 
up  in  their  improvements  by  so  many  fluctuating  ideas. 
The  result  was  the  laying  out  of  a  street  one  hundred 
feet  wide,  through  the  middle  of  which  was  an  open  ditch, 
or  canal,  with  planked  sides,  which  continued  to  carry 


Drawn  by  A.  Anderson,  178s 

LISPENARD'S  MEADOWS,    TAKEN  FROM  THE  SITE  OF  THE  ST.  NICHOLAS 
HOTEL,  BROADWAY 

I 


off  the  water  of  the  Collect.  Trees  were  planted  along 
the  sides  of  the  ditch  and  the  street  became  populated; 
but  this  took  several  years  to  accomplish. 

In  early  days,  the  meadows  were  a  favorite  place  for 
the  sportsmen  of  the  town,  as  ducks,  snipe,  and  other 
game  were  plentiful.  In  the  winter  time,  the  skaters 
occupied  the  frozen  meadows,  and  the  slopes  of  the  hills 


From  Canal  Street  to  Union  Square  173 


were  convenient  coasting  places  for  the  younger  people. 
The  Trinity  Church  farm  extended  as  far  north  as  this  on 
the  shore  of  the  Hudson.  Wishing  to  help  the  Lutheran 
Church  located  at  Rector  Street,  the  Trinity  corporation 
offered  it  several  acres  of  land  near  the  meadows;  but 
after  looking  it  over,  the  officers  of  the  Lutheran  Church 
declined  the  offer,  as  the  land,  in  their  opinion,  was  not 


THE   STONE  BRIDGE  AT  CANAL  STREET 

(From  Valentine's  Manual,  1857) 


worth  fencing  in.  The  river  road  to  Greenwich  passed 
over  the  meadows  on  a  causeway  and  bridge.  All  that 
now  remains  of  the  ancient  meadow  is  the  small,  trian- 
gular park  at  the  foot  of  Canal  Street  near  the  Hudson. 

The  regulating  and  grading  of  the  streets  in  the 
vicinity  were  going  on  and  the  tops  of  the  hills  were 
used  in  filling  in  the  Collect  and  the  low  land  of  Duggan 
Street,  as  it  was  first  called  after  a  tanner  of  that  name 


174  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


who  was  located  at  Broadway  and  Canal  Street.  Within 
twenty  years  afterwards,  about  1840,  the  canal  became  a 
covered  sewer,  which  still  continues  to  draw  off  the  water 
from  the  springs  which  fed  the  ancient  Freshwater  Pond. 
At  Broadway  the  stream  was  crossed  by  an  arched 
bridge,  which  was  known  as  the  Stone  Bridge.  This 
was  probably  built  by  the  British  when  occupying 
the  city  during  the  Revolution  to  serve  as  a  means 
of  communication  between  their  fortifications  on  the 
Kalck  Hook  and  those  above  the  stream  at  Bayard's, 
or  Bunker,  Hill.  The  ancient  bridge  is  buried  some  eight 
or  ten  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  present  thoroughfare ; 
and  when  the  engineers  come  to  build  the  proposed  sub- 
way under  the  line  of  Broadway,  they  will  run  across  the 
old  landmark.  Near  the  bridge  was  the  Stone  Bridge 
Tavern.  About  1850,  the  New  York  and  New  Haven 
Railroad  had  its  station  near  the  site  of  the  bridge — 
this  was  then  about  the  centre  of  the  city. 

In  1 80 1,  the  Legislature  authorized  the  appointment 
of  a  commission  to  lay  out  the  upper  part  of  the  island 
above  Houston  Street  in  streets  and  avenues.  The  com- 
mission, consisting  of  Simeon  De  Witt,  Gouverneur 
Morris  and  John  Rutherford,  began  its  work  in  1807 
with  John  Randall,  Jr.,  as  surveyor;  the  work  was 
finished  and  the  final  plan  submitted  in  182 1.  In  the 
plan  of  streets,  no  allowance  was  made  for  the  natural 
configuration  of  the  land  nor  for  the  lanes  and  roads 
already  existing,  except  in  a  few  cases,  as  with  the  Boston 
Road.  Instead,  a  system  of  broad,  parallel  avenues, 
crossed  by  streets  at  right  angles,  was  adopted  which, 
while  it  might  make  for  convenience,  did  not  make  for 
beauty,  especially  as  the  commission  was  chary  in  the 
allotment  of  spaces  for  public  parks,  for  which,  at  that 
time,  they  could  see  no  adequate  reason.    Their  lack 


From  Canal  Street  to  Union  Square  175 

of  foresight  in  that  respect  has  since  cost  the  city  many 
unnecessary  millions  of  dollars  which  might  have  been 
saved  if  the  plan  had  included  a  number  of  parks  for 
the  prospective  population.  In  the  formation  of  this 
plan,  the  idea  was  at  first  seriously  considered  of  doing 
away  with  Broadway  altogether,  as  it  was  believed  that 
the  main  artery  of  the  city's  business  life  would  be  the 
Boston  Road,  leading  from  the  Park  via  Park  Row  and 
the  Bowery.  In  fact,  Felix  Oldboy  designates  Broadway 
as  "an  accidental  thoroughfare."  The  laying  out  of 
the  city  as  far  north  as  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-fifth 
Street  caused  a  good  deal  of  merriment  on  the  part  of 
the  general  population,  and  a  good  deal  of  fun  was  poked 
at  the  commissioners  for  their  optimism,  for  which  they 
felt  called  upon  to  apologize. 

The  delay  in  the  improvement  of  Canal  Street  held 
back  the  development  of  Broadway  above  that  street 
for  several  years.  The  principal  owner  of  property 
was  Nicholas  Bayard,  whose  farm  extended  across 
Broadway  above  the  canal,  so  that  the  Middle  Road 
divided  it  into  the  west  and  east  farms.  This  land  was 
badly  cut  up  by  fortifications  which  the  British  had 
erected  during  the  Revolution.  North  of  Bayard's  west 
farm  was  the  Herring  estate,  which  extended  north  from 
Bleecker  Street.  Bayard's  east  farm  extended  to  between 
Prince  and  Houston  Streets;  above  this  was  the  land  of 
Alderman  Dyckman ;  above  him  was  the  land  of  Anthony 
L.  Bleecker,  and  above  him  was  the  Herring  property, 
which  thus  crossed  the  line  of  the  road — the  eastern 
boundary  of  these  lands  was  the  Boston  Road,  or  the 
Bowery.  In  1802,  the  Middle  Road  was  surveyed  and 
a  plan  devised  for  its  regulation  which  was  adopted, 
but  which  had  to  wait  for  the  completion  of  some  plan 
in  regard  to  Canal  Street.    In  1805,  Broadway  was  regu- 


176         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


lated  as  far  as  Prince  Street,  and  in  1806,  as  far  as  Great 
Jones  Street;  in  the  following  year  (1807),  to  Art  Street 
(also  called  Stuyvesant  Street  and  Astor  Place).  By 
1809,  the  street  was  paved  and  sidewalks  completed 
as  far  as  Art  Street.  In  the  same  year,  Mr.  Samuel 
Burling  offered  to  the  city  as  many  poplar  trees  as  might 
line  Broadway,  provided  the  city  would  stand  the  expense 
of  carting  them  and  setting  them  out.  The  proposition 
was  accepted  by  the  corporation  as  "  an  additional  beauty 
to  Broadway,  the  pride  of  our  city."  There  was  public 
spirit  for  you.  We  do  not  find  it  in  later  days,  when 
some  of  the  biggest  swindles  perpetrated  against  the 
city  have  been  the  enormous  prices  of  trees  which  have 
been  used  to  line  our  boulevards  and  streets,  and  which 
ought  to  have  been  supplied  by  the  nurseries  in  our 
public  parks. 

A  few  pioneers  found  their  way  above  Canal  Street, 
but  the  war  with  England  in  18 12  deterred  others  from 
trying  the  experiment.  By  1820,  however,  there  were 
a  good  many  settlers  as  well  as  a  good  many  vacant  lots. 
The  houses  generally  were  of  a  poor  character;  though 
several  fine  residences,  belonging  to  such  people  as  Abijah 
Hammond,  Elbert  Anderson,  Gabriel  V.  Ludlow,  Albert 
S.  Pell,  Foxhall  A.  Parker,  and  Citizen  Genet,  who  had 
become  a  citizen  of  the  United  States  after  giving  Wash- 
ington so  much  trouble  when  French  minister,  were 
distributed  along  the  thoroughfare  as  far  as  Astor  Place. 
Stephen  B.  Munn  was  a  speculative  builder,  who  erected 
numerous  houses  and  probably  reaped  the  benefit  of  his 
foresight;  nor  must  we  omit  Astor,  who  owned  property 
everywhere  on  the  island,  whose  son-in-law,  Walter 
Langdon,  occupied  a  handsome  house  between  Prince 
and  Houston  Streets,  on  the  west  side.  On  the  corner 
of  Prince  Street,  was  Dr.  Henry  Mott,  the  father  of  the 


From  Canal  Street  to  Union  Square  177 

famous  Dr.  Valentine  Mott.  Between  Amity  (Fourth) 
and  Art  streets  were  larger  parcels  of  land  still  used  as 
farms. 

The  development  of  Broadway  after  1820  was  steady, 
as  the  stages  made  the  section  convenient.  About  1825, 
at  663  and  665  Broadway,  two  houses  were  constructed 
with  marble  fronts,  probably  the  only  houses  in  the 
country  so  constructed.  A  great  deal  of  interest  was 
displayed  in  them  by  the  general  public  at  first,  and  the 
favorite  Sunday  afternoon  walk  of  many  of  the  in- 
habitants was  as  far  up  Broadway  as  Bond  Street  in 
order  to  see  the  "Marble  Houses,"  as  they  were  called, 
located  near  the  northern  boundary  of  the  city.  Later, 
they  became  known  as  the  Tremont  Hotel.  Two  other 
houses  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  street  opposite  Wash- 
ington Place,  with  granite  columns  in  front,  remained 
standing  almost  within  the  present  decade  as  reminders 
of  the  style  of  houses  occupying  Broadway  at  this  early 
period.  There  are  still  standing  two  houses,  one  at  the 
southwest  corner  of  Third  Street  and  the  other  at  the 
southwest  corner  of  Bleecker,  which  will  give  some  idea 
of  the  style  of  houses  of  sixty  years  ago;  though  these 
have  long  since  lost  any  air  of  distinction  they  may  have 
possessed. 

Under  date  of  1850,  Philip  Hone  says  the  mania  for 
converting  Broadway  into  a  street  of  shops  seems  to  be 
greater  than  ever,  and  that  there  is  scarcely  a  block  which 
is  not  being  so  transformed.  There  was  evidently  care- 
lessness in  propping  up  adjoining  houses  while  these 
changes  were  in  progress;  for  he  adds:  "If  they  don't 
pull  down  the  houses  on  Broadway,  they  fall  of  their 
own  accord,"  referring  to  the  startling  crash  of  a  falling 
house  in  his  own  neighborhood  at  Great  Jones  Street, 
whither  he  had  removed  in  1837  after  the  sale  of  his 
12 


178         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


old  house  at  Park  Place.  At  the  close  of  1869,  the  Board 
of  Education  established  a  Normal  and  High  School 
for  the  city  of  New  York.  Temporary  quarters  were 
engaged  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Broadway  and  Fourth 
Street,  and  Thomas  Hunter,  principal  of  old  35  in 
West  Thirteenth  Street,  was  chosen  president.  On 
February  14,  1870,  the  school  opened  with  seven  hundred 
students.  Work  was  begun  on  permanent  buildings  at 
Lexington  Avenue  and  Sixty-eighth  Street  in  1872; 
and  the  College,  for  its  name  had  been  changed  in  the 
meantime,  was  removed  to  the  new  buildings  in  the  fall 
of  1873. 

Astor  Place  was  originally  a  road  leading  from  the 
Bowery  over  to  the  village  of  Greenwich  and  it  was  called 
the  Sand  Hill  Road,  as  it  led  along  the  base  of  a  range 
of  low  sand  hills,  called  by  the  Dutch  the  Zantberg, 
which  extended  nearly  all  the  way  across  the  island. 
In  1766  Lieutenant-Governor  Andrew  Elliot  purchased 
thirteen  acres  of  land,  extending  from  the  Bowery  west- 
ward almost  to  the  present  Sixth  Avenue.  His  later 
purchases  increased  his  holdings  to  twenty-one  acres, 
which  he  called  "Minto."  In  1780,  he  was  acting 
governor  of  the  province  under  the  British,  and  left  the 
city  when  the  evacuation  took  place  in  1783.  He  had 
erected  a  fine  mansion  and  beautified  his  grounds.  The 
estate  came  into  the  possession  of  "Baron"  Poelnitz, 
who  sold  it  in  1790  to  Robert  R.  Randall,  a  shipmaster 
and  merchant  of  the  city,  for  five  thousand  pounds. 
Mr.  Randall  had  no  children  and  no  near  heirs. 

At  the  suggestion  of  Alexander  Hamilton,  so  it  is 
said,  who  made  Mr.  Randall's  will,  the  devisor  left  the 
property,  which  he  had  named  "The  Sailors'  Snug 
Harbor,"  as  a  home  for  aged  and  infirm  seamen.  Mr. 
Randall  died  in  1801,  and  his  will  at  once  became  a 


From  Canal  Street  to  Union  Square  179 

matter  of  litigation  on  the  part  of  his  relatives,  and  it 
was  not  until  183 1  that  the  matter  was  settled  by  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States.  It  had  been  Mr. 
Randall's  intention  to  have  had  the  home  occupy  his 
mansion  on  the  farm,  which  was  to  furnish  vegetables, 
etc.,  to  the  inmates;  but  by  the  time  his  will  was  upheld, 
the  property  had  become  so  valuable  that  the  trustees 
thought  it  better  to  buy  land  on  Staten  Island,  and  the 
Snug  Harbor  was  opened  there  on  August  1,  1833. 
The  farm  was  divided  up  and  let  on  long  leaseholds 
which  give  the  institution  a  yearly  income  of  over  $400,- 
000.  This  is  one  of  the  most  munificent  charities  ever 
established  by  any  one  in  the  city. 

Adjoining  the  "Minto"  estate  of  Governor  Elliot 
on  the  north,  was  the  farm  of  Elias  Brevoort,  which 
extended  from  the  Bowery  to  between  Fifth  and  Sixth 
Avenues,  its  northern  boundary  being  Eighteenth  Street. 
The  house  stood  on  the  Bowery  on  the  line  of  Eleventh 
Street ;  and  though  the  city  made  efforts  in  1 836  and  1 849 
to  cut  the  street  through,  both  attempts  were  blocked 
by  the  Dutch  obstinacy  of  Hendrick  Brevoort,  then  the 
venerable  owner  of  the  property. 

As  we  have  come  up  Broadway  from  the  Bowling 
Green,  our  course  has  been  in  a  straight  line;  but  after 
we  have  passed  Canal  Street,  ever  before  our  eyes  and 
growing  larger  as  we  get  farther  north  is  a  beautiful 
church  steeple,  rising  apparently  in  the  middle  of  the 
thoroughfare.  We  find  the  reason  at  Tenth  Street, 
where  Broadway  changes  its  course  and  where  stands 
Grace  Episcopal  Church,  which  was  built  here  in  1846, 
after  the  removal  of  the  congregation  from  Rector 
Street.  By  the  plan  of  the  commissioners  of  1807,  it 
was  intended  that  the  two  main  roads  of  the  island,  the 
Bowery  and  Broadway,  should  meet  at  the  "Tulip 


i8o  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


tree,"  which  was  located  in  the  present  Union  Square 
abreast  of  Sixteenth  Street.  It  was  found,  however, 
that  if  Broadway  were  continued  in  its  previous  straight 
course,  the  meeting  of  the  two  roads  would  be  below 
Fourteenth  Street ;  and  the  line  of  the  Middle  Road  was 
therefore  changed  at  this  point.  Many  suggestions 
have   been    made    to  cut 


jRACE  CHURCH  AT  THE  CORNER  OF  TENTH  STREET  AND  BROADWAY 


much  wealth  and  influence.  Tweed  told  the  church  boldly 
that  he  was  going  to  do  it,  and  the  church  authorities 
told  him  to  go  ahead;  but  the  street  is  not  yet  cut  through. 
The  church  has  been  the  scene  of  many  fashionable 
weddings,  and  at  several  of  these  there  have  been  scenes 
of  crowding,  spoliation  of  decorations,  and  exhibitions 
of  bad  manners  which  have  made  the  New  Yorker  blush 


From  Canal  Street  to  Union  Square  181 

for  the  reputation  of  American  women;  for  it  has  been 
the  sensation-loving  and  uninvited  women  who  have  been 
the  chief  offenders. 

On  the  Tenth  Street  corner,  there  stood  for  many 
years  the  restaurant  and  bakery  conducted  by  the 
Fleischmanns.  The  "bread  line"  here  (only  recently 
suspended)  became  one  of  the  institutions  of  New  York, 
for  it  was  the  custom  of  the  firm  to  give  away  every 
night  the  bread  and  rolls  that  had  not  been  used  or  sold 
during  the  day.  It  was  a  practical  charity,  duly  ap- 
preciated by  the  poor  and  unfortunate — men,  women, 
and  children — who  could  be  seen  waiting  here  in  line 
until  midnight  to  receive  their  dole  of  bread,  even  on 
the  coldest  or  most  inclement  nights. 

On  the  block  below,  is  the  old  Stewart  building,  now 
occupied  by  John  Wanamaker,  who  erected  a  still  larger 
and  taller  building  below  Ninth  Street  in  1908,  the  two 
buildings  being  connected  by  a  subway  and  a  bridge 
across  Ninth  Street.  Stewart  moved  here  in  1862,  but 
it  took  several  years  before  he  acquired  the  whole  block 
between  Ninth  and  Tenth  Streets,  as  the  Ninth  Street 
corner  was  occupied  by  the  firm  of  Goupil  &  Co.,  the 
art  dealers.  I  remember  in  my  boyhood  seeing  upon 
the  steps  of  the  Stewart  store  an  old  woman  who  used  to 
sell  shrimps — the  only  place  in  the  city  where  I  ever 
saw  it  done. 

Of  the  many  churches  that  formerly  stood  on  lower 
Broadway,  the  three  already  described — Trinity,  St. 
Paul's,  and  Grace — are  all  that  remain.  When  Grace 
Church  left  Rector  Street,  the  corner  lot  there  was  sold 
for  $65,000.  The  following  is  a  list  of  the  churches  that 
once  stood  on  Broadway:  (1823)  St.  Thomas's  Episcopal, 
Houston  Street,  removed  in  1870  to  Fifth  Avenue; 
(18 1 7)  Broadway  Congregational,  corner  of  Anthony 


1 82         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Street,  dissolved;  (1845)  Unitarian  Church  of  the  Divine 
Unity,  between  Prince  and  Houston  Streets;  (1839  to 
1865)  Church  of  the  Messiah,  Unitarian,  near  Waverly 
Place;  (1825)  Scotch  Baptist  in  a  hall  corner  of  Reade 
Street,  and  after  several  removals,  again  in  Broadway 
near  Bleecker  Street;  Swedenborgian,  near  Rector  Street, 


st.  thomas's  church,  corner  of  Broadway  and  Houston  street, 
erected  in  1 823 

removed  in  1816  near  to  Duane  Street,  and  the  Anglo- 
American  Church  of  St.  George  the  Martyr  at  Number 
563;  this  last  congregation,  notwithstanding  that  it  was 
assisted  by  Trinity,  finally  perished. 

The  Broadway  Tabernacle,  Congregational,  stood 
for  many  years  between  Worth  Street  and  Catherine 


From  Canal  Street  to  Union  Square  183 


Lane  on  the  east  side  of  Broadway.  It  was  the  scene 
of  the  May  meetings,  where  William  Lloyd  Garrison, 
Wendell  Phillips,  Gerrit  Smith,  and  the  gentle  Quaker, 
Lucretia  Mott,  used  to  hold  forth  upon  the  iniquities 
of  slavery  and  advocate  its  abolition.  The  Sacred 
Music  Society,  founded  in  1823,  gave  oratorios  and  con- 
certs in  the  Tabernacle,  as  did  later  musical  organizations. 
In  1856,  a  great  gathering  of  citizens  was  held  in  the 
Tabernacle  to  express  their  indignation  at  the  assault 
on  Charles  Sumner  by  Preston  Brooks  while  Sumner 
was  at  his  seat  in  the  United  States  Senate  Chamber. 
The  hall  is  said  to  have  been  the  most  convenient  for 
public  meetings  and  entertainments,  as  well  as  for  re- 
ligious observances,  of  any  in  the  city.  In  the  same 
year  as  the  Sumner  meeting,  the  Tabernacle  was  sold 
by  its  congregation,  which  moved  to  the  corner  of  Broad- 
way and  Thirty-fourth  Street,  and  which  has  since 
migrated  to  Broadway  and  Fifty-sixth  Street.  In 
closing  these  paragraphs  on  the  Broadway  churches,  it 
may  be  well  to  repeat  the  remark  of  an  old  writer,  who 
said  that  the  churches  in  general  kept  clear  of  the  noise 
and  bustle  of  Broadway  and  sought  their  sites  in  quieter 
localities. 

The  hotels  and  restaurants  sought  Broadway  for  the 
very  reason  that  the  churches  shunned  it.  The  hotels 
that  have  at  various  times  occupied  sites  on  Broadway 
have  been  legion;  with  the  exception  of  the  Astor  House, 
all  the  first-class  hotels  have  departed  from  below  Union 
Square.  We  may  mention  a  few  of  the  older  and  best 
known.  On  July  9,  1842,  Mr.  Pinteaux,  a  Frenchman, 
opened  the  Cafe  des  Milles  Colonnes  at  the  corner  of 
Duane  Street,  which  soon  became  famous  under  the 
management  of  F.  Palmo.  The  accommodations  and 
appointments  of  this  restaurant  were  far  superior  to 


1 84         The  World's  Greatest  Street 

anything  of  its  kind  yet  seen  in  this  country.  In  Febru- 
ary, 1844,  Palmo,  who  was  an  Italian  and  a  great  lover 
of  the  music  of  his  native  land,  opened  Palmo's  Opera 
House  at  39  and  41  Chambers  Street.    He  was  unsuccess- 


BROADWAY  TABERNACLE,   BETWEEN  WORTH  STREET  AND  CATHERINE  LANE, 
ON  TH2  EAST  SIDE  OK  BROADWAY 


ful  as  an  impresario,  and  the  theatre  passed  out  of  his 
hands,  and  became  Burton's  Theatre,  where  that  amusing 
comedian  held  forth  for  a  number  of  years.  Another 
famous  restaurant  much  frequented  by  the  fashionable 
ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the  thirties  and  forties  was 
Taylor's,  situated  on  the  west  side  of  Broadway  at  the 


185 


1 86  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


northwest  corner  of  Franklin  Street,  and  figuring  largely 
in  the  romance  of  the  day.  Ainslee's,  between  Duane 
and  Anthony  Streets,  and  Lovejoy's,  at  the  corner  of 
Worth  Street,  also  shared  in  the  public  favor.  Probably 
the  ancestor  of  all  the  restaurants  conducted  in  a  foreign 
style  was  Guerin's  at  120,  which  from  18 15  onwards 


Drawn  by  Eliza  Greatorex 

BROADWAY  AND  GRAND  STREET 


for  several  years  sold  confectionery,  chocolate,  pastry, 
liqueurs,  etc. ;  this  was  below  the  Park,  near  Maiden  Lane. 

Of  hotels  proper,  there  was  the  Broadway  Hotel  at 
the  northeast  corner  of  Grand  Street,  erected  by  Abraham 
Davis  before  18 10,  which  became  the  headquarters  of 
the  Whigs  when  their  party  was  formed  and  where  the 
returns  of  the  elections  were  received.  After  the  elec- 
tion of  1844,  the  hotel  lost  prestige  and  declined  in  popu- 
larity. After  1830,  a  large  room  on  one  of  the  upper 
floors  was  used  for  some  time  as  an  armory  and  drill- 
room  by  the  second  company  of  the  Seventh  Regiment. 


From  Canal  Street  to  Union  Square  187 

In  1847  the  New  York  Hotel,  the  second  of  its 
name  in  the  city,  was  opened  at  721  Broadway,  between 
Washington  Place  and  Waverly  Place,  by  S.  B.  Monnot. 
The  undertaking  was  considered  by  many  to  be  a  perilous 
one,  as  the  hotel  was  so  far  up-town.  Monnot  was 
successful,  notwithstanding  the  croakers,  and  after 
several  years  was  succeeded  by  Hiram  Cranston.  The 
hotel  was  a  favorite  one  with  Southerners  and  remained 
so  during  the  Civil  War;  so  much  so,  in  fact,  that  it  was 
almost  constantly  under  supervision  by  the  Federal 
secret  service.  A  number  of  romances  have  been  written 
concerning  the  part  played  by  this  hostelry  in  blockade 
running  and  similar  enterprises  for  the  advantage  of 
the  Confederacy.  The  building  was  demolished  in  1895, 
and  the  site  has  been  marked  by  a  bronze  tablet  on  the 
front  of  the  great  New  York  Commercial  Building  which 
has  taken  its  place. 

At  Leonard  Street,  was  a  hotel  known  as  the  Carleton 
House;  there  was  another  at  Walker  Street,  known  as 
Florence's  Hotel;  and  on  the  west  side,  corner  of  Spring 
Street,  was  the  St.  Nicholas,  a  name  very  appropriate 
considering  the  Dutch  ancestry  of  the  city,  but  which 
has  not  been  employed  by  a  really  first-class  hotel  since 
the  departure  of  the  old  house.  The  Sinclair  House 
stood  for  a  long  time  at  Eighth  Street  and  has  only 
been  demolished  within  the  past  five  years.  Three 
hotels  may  still  be  found  above  Chambers  Street;  these 
are  the  Hotel  St.  Denis  at  Eleventh  Street;  the  Broadway 
Central,  first  established  as  the  Grand  Central  at  671 
on  the  site  of  the  La  Farge  House,  where,  when  it  was 
the  Grand  Central,  occurred  the  tragic  death  of  James 
Fisk  in  1872  at  the  hands  of  a  rival  for  the  favors  of 
a  worthless  woman;  and  the  Raleigh,  opposite  Bond 
Street,   adjoining  the   Broadway   Central.    This  last 


1 88         The  World's  Greatest  Street 

suffered  a  severe  fire  in  the  fall  of  1910,  and  is  marked 
for  demolition,  a  business  building  having  been  planned 
to  take  its  place. 

Speaking  of  the  section  of  Broadway  south  of  Bleecker 
Street,  Charles  H.  Has  well  says  in  his  Recollections  of  an 
Octogenarian: 

At  this  period  [1850],  Broadway  was  undergoing  a  rapid 


Drawn  by  Eliza  Greatorex 

BROADWAY  AND  BLEECKER  STREET 


change  into  a  street  of  trade.  The  City  Hotel,  after  its  long 
existence,  at  last  disappeared.  A.  T.  Stewart  extended  his 
building  to  the  corner  of  Reade  Street.  All  through  Broad- 
way, nearly  to  Bleecker  Street,  residences  were  coming  down 
to  be  replaced  by  business  structures. 

A  popular  place  of  resort  for  journalists  and  other 
writers  for  some  years  after  1858  was  "Charley"  Pfaff's, 
an  ill-ventilated  and  rather  dingy  place  situated  in  a 


From  Canal  Street  to  Union  Square  189 

cellar  on  the  east  side  of  Broadway  a  few  doors  above 
Bleecker  Street.  It  owed  its  vogue  to  Henry  Clapp  and 
his  associates  on  the  Saturday  Press,  a  journal  of  ephem- 
eral existence.  When  the  paper  suspended,  there  was 
pasted  on  the  door  of  the  publication  rooms  this  notice: 
"This  paper  is  obliged  to  discontinue  publication  for 
lack  of  funds;  by  a  curious  coincidence,  the  very  reason 
for  which  it  was  started."  "Pfaff's"  was  the  resort 
of  the  Bohemians  of  both  sexes,  but  there  was  good  beer 
and  there  must  have  been  good  cooking,  as  we  find  that 
the  place  was  visited  occasionally  by  people  who  were 
somebodies  in  literature;  such  men  as  Thomas  Bailey 
Aldrich,  William  Winter,  the  dramatic  scholar  and  critic, 
William  Dean  Howells,  Bayard  Taylor,  Edmund  Clarence 
Stedman,  and  Walt  Whitman,  among  others.  George 
Arnold,  the  poet,  was  a  visitor,  and  one  night  he  saddened 
the  crowd  by  his  story  of  the  suicide  at  the  Stevens  House 
of  a  friend  of  his,  a  young  Englishman  named  Henry  W. 
Herbert,  who  wrote  under  the  pseudonym  of  "Frank 
Forrester."  Another  friend  of  Arnold,  who  introduced 
him  to  the  coterie  at  "Pfaff's,"  was  George  Farrar 
Brown,  better  known  to  the  reading  public  as  "Artemus 
Ward."  They  were  a  jolly  crowd,  but  journalism  had 
fallen  somewhat  from  its  high  estate  of  a  generation 
before,  when  the  "Bread  and  Cheese  Club"  held  forth 
at  Washington  Hall. 

Of  the  charms  and  delights  of  Broadway,  we  have  the 
testimony  of  many  people — visitors  from  abroad  and 
from  other  sections  of  the  country,  as  well  as  of  residents 
of  the  city.  Even  as  early  as  1793,  the  accomplished 
wife  of  Vice-President  John  Adams  writes  to  a  friend 
at  the  prospect  of  leaving  her  residence  at  Richmond 
Hill  and  removing  with  the  government  to  the  larger 
town  of  Philadelphia:  "And  after  all,  it  will  not  be  Broad- 


190 


The  World's  Greatest  Street 


way. "  Let  us  also  quote  from  Wilson's  Memorial  History 
of  New  York: 

A  contemporary  gives  an  interesting  picture  of  the  Broad- 
way of  1858.  Once  the  seat  of  pleasant  residences,  shaded 
with  trees,  and  famous  for  its  walks  and  drives,  it  was  now  be- 
come a  street  of  shops,  hotels,  and  theatres.  The  business 
houses  in  the  retail  trade  reached  far  up-town;  the  finer 
dwelling-houses  were  above  Fourteenth  Street  and  around 
Union  and  Madison  Squares.  "Broadway  in  1858,"  says  the 
Crayon  of  that  year,  "has  become  not  unlike  the  Strand  in 
London  or  a  Paris  boulevard.  Early  in  the  morning  the 
street  begins  to  fill  with  carts  and  vehicles  bringing  supplies 
from  the  country  to  the  market.  From  all  the  by-streets 
which  connect  Broadway  with  the  river  crowds  of  men,  wo- 
men, wagons,  and  horses  emerge  from  the  Brooklyn,  Hoboken, 
Williamsburgh,  Staten  Island,  and  New  Jersey  ferries.  It  is 
still  very  early  in  the  morning;  the  shops  are  still  closed;  only 
here  and  there  an  omnibus  makes  its  reluctant  appearance, 
its  driver  and  horses  not  having  yet  shaken  off  the  sloth  of  the 
night.  There  are  also  some  carriages  stopping  before  the 
Astor  House,  Metropolitan,  St.  Nicholas,  and  other  hotels 
with  a  load  of  passengers  just  coming  in  from  the  east,  west, 
north,  or  from  European  or  California  steamers.  At  this 
early  hour  Broadway  looks  thoroughly  respectable,  like  a  big 
ball-room."  The  writer  goes  on  to  paint  its  various  changes: 
"Soon  after  a  crowd  of  clerks  and  businessmen  rush  down  the 
famous  thoroughfare.  Then  comes  later  the  stream  of  fair 
women  shoppers  from  the  upper  part  of  the  town,  filling  the 
sidewalks;  next,  in  the  afternoon,  the  tide  of  business  men 
rushes  back  along  the  same  thoroughfare;  and  in  the  evening 
the  street  is  again  crowded  with  persons  going  to  theatres  and 
various  amusements  of  the  night."  In  the  later  hours  the 
street  is  no  longer  "respectable";  it  was  filled  with  disreput- 
able and  noisy  revellers;  now  the  police  and  the  watchmen  were 
on  the  alert,  and  the  noise  of  wild  songs  and  gross  revelry  dis- 
turbed the  peace  of  Broadway.    Such  was  our  favorite  Broad- 


From  Canal  Street  to  Union  Square  191 

way  thirty-five  years  ago.  How  different  now !  The  theatres 
are  gone ;  the  retail  shops  are  moved  up-town ;  a  stately  range 
of  office  buildings  and  wholesale  stores  lines  the  street,  and 
but  a  few  of  the  old  hotels  still  linger  on  their  early  sites.  In 
the  day  no  milk-carts,  no  omnibuses,  no  crowds  of  fair  women, 
no  gallant  pedestrians  fill  Broadway;  at  night  no  cries  of 
revelry.  It  is  silent  and  abandoned  after  eight  o'clock.  One 
is  almost  startled  by  its  solitude.  Broadway  has  become  the 
business  centre  of  the  continent — perhaps  of  the  world. 

Though  this  was  written  in  1893,  it  is  equally  true 
to-day;  and  how  changed  the  names  of  the  merchants 
whose  signs  adorn  the  fronts  of  the  buildings;  for  it  was 
about  this  date  that,  owing  to  the  persecutions  of  the 
Jewish  people,  the  tide  of  immigration  began  from 
Russia  and  Poland.  They  have  certainly  made  good 
in  this  land  of  opportunity,  and  have  not  been  satisfied 
with  anything  less  than  a  virtual  monopoly  of  the  greatest 
thoroughfare  in  the  world.  And  the  street  has  been  di- 
vided into  sections  for  each  line  of  goods ;  here  are  general 
dry-goods;  here,  ready-made  clothing,  women's  suits, 
furs,  notions,  children's  clothing,  type-writers,  sporting 
goods,  millinery: — each  article  may  be  found  within  a 
section  of  a  few  blocks,  generally  at  wholesale,  but  more 
rarely  at  retail,  and  then  only  in  the  daytime.  At 
night  and  on  Sundays  it  might  be  the  street  of  a  deserted 
city,  save  for  the  street  cars  crawling  lazily  along. 


CHAPTER  IX 


PLACES  OF  AMUSEMENT  BELOW  UNION  SQUARE* 

0  give  a  list  of  the  theatres,  of  the 
plays,  and  of  the  people  that  ap- 
peared in  them  would  be  to  write  a 
history  of  the  New  York  stage;  I 
can  only  lightly  touch  upon  the 
many  that  have  filled  so  large  a  part 
of  New  York  life.  The  first  theatre 
of  any  consequence  to  open  after 
the  Revolution  was  the  Park  Theatre,  opposite  City 
Hall  Park  in  Park  Row  in  1798.  As  Broadway  grew, 
the  theatres  grew  with  it ;  but  there  is  not  now  a  theatre 
on  Broadway  below  Twenty-eighth  Street.  The  circus 
seems  to  have  been  more  popular  before  i860  than  at 
present,  for  there  are  records  of  several  occupying  the 
vacant  lots  of  the  thoroughfare  before  that  time;  some 
of  these  developed  later  into  theatres,  as  in  the  case  of 
Niblo's  Garden.  The  same  degree  of  popularity  also 
extended  to  the  negro  minstrels;  for  while  to-day  there 
is  not  a  permanent  minstrel  show  on  Broadway,  if  in 
the  city,  in  those  earlier  days  there  were  several  com- 

*  In  the  preparation  of  this  chapter  I  have  been  greatly  indebted  to  The 
History  of  the  New  York  Stage,  by  Thomas  Allston  Brown,  published  in 
three  volumes  by  Dodd,  Mead  &  Co.  in  1903. 

192 


Amusement  Places  below  Union  Square  193 

parties  occupying  Broadway  houses  at  the  same  time — 
Christy,  Dan  Bryant,  Kelly  and  Leon,  Campbell,  Wood, 
Pell  and  Trowbridge,  Morris  Brothers,  and  many  more. 

The  New  Yorker  of  the  earlier  day  was  fond  of  taking 
his  amusements  in  gardens;  and  of  these  we  find  records 
of  a  great  many,  not  only  on  Broadway,  but  elsewhere. 
Here  concerts  of  music  were  given,  exhibitions  on  the 
tight  and  slack  ropes,  displays  of  magic,  and  light  plays. 
Besides  these,  there  were  the  natural  and  artificial  beauties 
of  trees,  plants,  and  flowers,  and  the  enticements  of  shady 
nooks  in  which  were  served  ices  and  other  light  refresh- 
ments. These  gardens  were  eminently  respectable  and 
were  visited  by  the  best  people.  Many  a  gentle  flirta- 
tion was  carried  on  in  these  delightful  places,  and  many 
a  wedding  ensued  in  consequence ;  nor  were  they  ignorant 
of  settlements  in  accordance  with  the  code  of  honor 
which  led  to  the  duel  in  the  early  morning, — a  relic  of 
barbarism  now  happily  gone  forever.  Many  of  the 
taverns  had  gardens  attached  which  served  as  extra 
inducements  to  the  guests  of  those  days,  when  there  were 
no  palatial  hotels  of  fifteen  or  more  stories  with  electric 
lights,  express  elevators,  and  all  the  conveniences,  and 
expense,  of  our  own  time.  But  there  were  compensations 
in  the  fact  that  the  proprietor  knew  his  guests  and  cared 
personally  for  their  comfort,  and  that  a  stranger  need 
not  long  remain  without  companionship  of  the  best  sort 
if  he  had  anything  to  commend  him. 

Just  above  Murray  Street,  stood  the  inn  and  gar- 
dens of  Mr.  Montagnie,  of  which  mention  has  already 
been  made  as  the  headquarters  of  the  Sons  of  Liberty. 
Montagnie  appears  to  have  been  here  after  the  Revolu- 
tion, his  place  then  being  called  the  United  States  Garden. 
John  H.  Contoit  conducted  the  place  from  1802  until 
1805  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Augustus  Parise.  Later, 


194         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


a  building  called  the  Parthenon  was  erected  on  the  site; 
and  in  1825,  Reuben  Peale  occupied  the  building  as  the 
American  Museum,  which  was  bought  out  several  years 
later  by  P.  T.  Barnum  and  moved  to  the  corner  of  Ann 
Street.  Peale  enjoyed  a  well-deserved  patronage  for 
fifteen  years,  the  Museum  being  a  place  to  which  children 
could  be  taken  with  safety.  On  the  block  above  Warren 
Street,  a  garden  was  maintained  by  a  Mr.  Cox.  Contoit 
conducted  his  garden  as  above  until  1805,  when  he  moved 
to  the  block  below  near  Park  Place;  four  years  later, 
he  removed  to  365  Broadway,  between  Leonard  and 
Franklin  Streets,  where  his  New  York  Garden  became 
the  most  fashionable  resort  of  its  kind  in  the  city,  and 
where  it  remained  for  about  forty  years. 

The  Mount  Vernon  Garden  at  the  northwest  cornei' 
of  Leonard  Street  was  opened  July  19,  1800,  by  Joseph 
Corrie,  who  had  been  French  cook  to  an  English  officer, 
and  who  made  the  cuisine  of  his  place  famous.  At  its 
opening,  performances  were  given  by  the  company  from 
the  Park  Theatre,  which  house  was  closed  for  the  summer. 
Close  by  at  Thomas  Street  was  the  house  of  Anthony 
Rutgers  who  died  in  1750;  after  his  death  it  became  a 
public  house  and  with  the  surrounding  grounds  was 
called  Ranelagh  Garden,  a  popular  place  in  its  time. 

The  Bayard  east  farm  above  Canal  Street  was  laid 
out  by  a  Frenchman  named  Delacroix,  in  1798,  as  the 
Vauxhall  Garden,  and  was  for  some  years  a  popular 
resort  with  its  mead  booths,  flying  horses,  fireworks, 
concerts,  etc.  The  proprietor  was  obliged  to  move  in 
1806  as  population  came  up-town  and  crowded  him  out, 
and  he  located  himself  on  Broadway,  south  of  Astor 
Place,  the  Vauxhall  extending  east  to  the  Bowery  (Fourth 
Avenue).  A  ball  was  given  once  a  week,  and  it  became 
a  place  of  great  resort.    Barnum  hired  it  for  a  while  in 


195 


196  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


1840,  and  it  was  afterwards  used  for  public  meetings. 
The  garden  was  much  curtailed  about  1827,  when  Lafay- 
ette Place  was  cut  through  the  property;  the  buildings 
were  demolished  in  1855. 

It  was  in  Astor  Place  that  there  occurred  a  riot  on 
the  tenth  of  May,  1849,  which  is  sometimes  spoken  of 
as  the  "Macready  riot,"  the  enmity  of  the  rioters  being 
directed  against  the  famous  English  actor  of  that  name 
who  was  appearing  at  the  Opera  House,  whose  site  is 
now  occupied  by  the  Mercantile  Library.  The  trouble 
grew  out  of  the  rivalry  of  Forrest  and  Macready,  and 
the  friends  of  the  former  aroused  the  passions  of  the 
multitude  by  making  it  a  dispute  between  American 
and  Englishman.  The  Seventh  Regiment  fired  upon  the 
mob,  thirty-four  of  whom  were  killed  and  many  wounded. 
The  regiment  itself  had  one  hundred  and  forty-one  of 
its  members  hurt,  some  seriously. 

Up  to  the  year  1824,  the  only  marble  building  in  the 
city  was  the  City  Hall;  and  so  strong  was  the  prejudice 
of  workmen  against  the  use  of  the  stone  for  building 
purposes,  that  when  John  Scudder  wished  to  erect  the 
American  Museum  on  the  site  of  Hampden  Hall  at  the 
corner  of  Ann  Street  and  Broadway  in  the  above  year, 
not  a  workman  could  be  persuaded  to  undertake  the 
work,  and,  as  a  last  resource,  a  convict  was  pardoned 
out  of  Greenwich  prison  on  condition  that  he  would  do  it. 
After  the  Revolution,  Hampden  Hall  was  the  town 
residence  of  Andrew  Hopper.  In  1840  the  museum 
came  into  the  hands  of  Phineas  T.  Barnum,  "The  Great 
American  Showman,"  who  united  with  it  the  collection 
from  Peak's  New  York  Museum  and  continued  his 
American  Museum  in  the  building  until  he  was  burned 
out,  July  13,  1865.  Barnum  used  to  run  what  he  called 
"a  lecture  room"  in  connection  with  the  museum;  and 


Amusement  Places  below  Union  Square  197 


here  were  given  what  he  was  pleased  to  call  moral  plays, 
so  that  many  people  who  would  not  go  to  the  theatre 
(horrible,  demoralizing  place!)  went  to  see  Barnum's 
show  without  any  twinges  of  conscience.  I  remember 
visiting  the  museum  here  once  when  I  was  a  very  small 
lad,  and  the  only  recollection  I  have  of  what  I  saw  was 
a  whale  swimming  around  in  a  glass  tank.    I  know  now 


BURNING  OF  BARNUM'S  MUSEUM,  1865 


that  it  was  only  a  blackfish,  but  it  looked  very  big  to 
my  boyish  eyes. 

A  rather  funny  incident  is  told  of  the  old  volurteer 
fire  department  in  connection  with  Barnum's.  The 
play  was  The  Patriots  of  '76,  and  the  manager  invited 
the  Lady  Washington  Light  Guards,  a  well-drilled  target 
company  composed  of  members  of  Engine  Company  49, 
to  take  part  in  the  play.  The  men  agreed  to  the  proposal, 
intending  to  turn  over  their  pay  to  some  members  of 
their  engine  company  who  were  out  of  work.    In  due 


198  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


time  they  appeared  on  the  stage,  some  dressed  as  Conti- 
nentals, others  as  Indians,  and  one  as  Moll  Pitcher,  the 
heroine  of  Monmouth;  but  while  in  the  midst  of  an  ex- 
citing act,  the  City  Hall  bell  sounded  an  alarm  of  fire. 
"Boys,"  cried  the  foreman,  who  was  acting  with  them, 
"boys,  there's  a  fire  in  the  Seventh  District!"  With 
that,  he  and  his  thirty  comrades  bolted  from  the  stage, 
rushed  up  Broadway  for  their  engine,  and  soon  returned 
with  it — the  most  extraordinary  looking  fire  company 
ever  seen  in  the  streets  of  a  civilized  or  uncivilized  com- 
munity, Moll  Pitcher  at  the  head  of  the  rope,  and  a  live 
Indian  brandishing  a  foreman's  trumpet.  On  reach- 
ing the  fire,  followed  by  a  motley  and  jeering  crowd, 
they  applied  themselves  to  the  brakes;  while  the  mana- 
ger of  the  museum  was  trying  to  explain  to  the  audi- 
ence the  sudden  and  unexpected  disappearance  of  the 
actors. 

Many  actors  who  afterwards  became  famous  made  their 
first  appearances  at  Barnum's.  From  the  way  in  which 
he  used  to  keep  them  busy,  it  was  said  that  his  actors 
could  always  be  known  by  the  fact  that  they  carried 
their  dinner  pails  with  them  to  the  theatre. 

He  also  employed  a  band,  which  occupied  a  balcony 
above  the  entrance  and  discoursed  so-called  music  "from 
early  morn  to  dewy  eve."  The  story  is  told  that  a 
young  fellow  once  applied  to  the  great  showman  for  a 
position  in  his  band.  Barnum  told  the  applicant  to  go 
ahead.  At  the  end  of  the  week,  the  musician,  seeing  no 
pay  coming,  asked  for  it.  "Pay!"  cried  the  showman 
with  a  fine  display  of  indignation;  "we  said  nothing 
about  pay.  The  honor  of  playing  in  my  band  is  pay 
enough  for  a  youngster  like  you."  That  the  general 
public  did  not  esteem  the  music  as  much  as  Barnum  did 
is  shown  in  the  following  lines  from  John  G.  Saxe: 


Amusement  Places  below  Union  Square  199 

I  love  the  city,  and  the  city's  smoke; 
The  smell  of  gas;  the  dust  of  coal  and  coke; 
The  sound  of  bells;  the  tramp  of  hurrying  feet; 
The  sight  of  pigs  and  Paphians  in  the  street ; 
The  jostling  crowd;  the  never-ceasing  noise 
Of  rattling  coaches,  and  vociferous  boys; 
The  cry  of  "Fire!"  and  the  exciting  scene 
Of  heroes  running  with  their  mad  "mercheen"; 
Nay,  now  I  think  that  I  could  even  stand 
The  direful  din  of  Barnum's  brazen  band, 
So  much  I  long  to  see  the  town  again! 

And  Halleck  gives  us: 

Sounds  as  of  far-off  bells  came  on  his  ears — 
He  fancied 't  was  the  music  of  the  spheres. 
He  was  mistaken,  it  was  no  such  thing, 
'T  was  Yankee  Doodle  played  by  Scudder's  band. 

Bamum  did  not  rebuild  at  Ann  Street  after  the  fire, 
but  moved  up-town.  The  site  was  taken  by  James 
Gordon  Bennett,  Senior,  April  19,  1867,  and  the  New 
York  Herald  was  published  here  until  August,  1893,  when 
it  removed  to  Thirty-fifth  Street.  Then  the  towering 
St.  Paul  Building  was  erected  on  the  vacated  site  at 
Ann  Street. 

Between  Howard  and  Grand  streets,  there  was  a 
building  originally  designed  as  a  circus;  but  which,  as 
appears  from  an  advertisement  of  18 12,  was  the  Olympic 
Theatre  under  the  management  of  Dwyer  and  Mc- 
Kenzie.  It  was  West's  Circus  before  181 9,  in  which  year 
it  opened  with  The  Spy.  It  had  both  a  ring  and  a  stage ; 
and  on  the  latter  the  Park  Theatre  Company  appeared 
in  1822  as  being  at  a  safe  distance  from  the  city 
which,  at  that  time,  was  scourged  with  yellow  fever. 
In  1820  it  was  a  circus  under  Victor  Pepin's  management, 


200         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


and  it  remained  a  circus  as  late  as  1825,  when  it  was 
owned  by  Pierre  Lorillard;  it  occupied  the  lots  442  to 
448  Broadway.  In  1827,  the  circus  was  converted  into 
a  theatre  called  the  Broadway;  and  at  one  time,  it  was 
known  as  the  Marine  Theatre.  The  Olympic  Theatre 
was,  in  1837,  built  at  444  and  the  rest  of  the  site  was 
occupied  by  Tattersall's,  a  famous  horse  and  carriage  mart 
until  the  fifties.  The  theatre  was  at  first  unsuccessful,  as 
it  was  ahead  of  the  times  in  prices  and  quality  of  plays. 

William  Mitchell  leased  the  house  and  opened  it, 
December  9,  1839,  as  a  low-priced  house  for  amusing 
performances;  and  it  soon  became  the  fashion  and  the 
most  popular  place  in  the  city.  Steady  prosperity 
followed  until  1850,  whem  Mitchell  gave  it  up.  George 
Holland  was  one  of  the  chief  attractions,  and  Frank 
Chanfrau  appeared  here  as  Mose,  the  typical  Bowery 
b'hoy  with  his  girl  Lize. 

The  Olympic  was  a  little  bit  of  a  place,  with  a  stage 
not  much  larger  than  a  modern  sitting-room.  Though 
assisted  by  a  small  and  very  able  company,  Mitchell, 
himself,  was  the  mainstay  of  his  petite  theatre.  He  was 
a  great  mimic  and  "took  off"  the  great  lights  of  the  stage, 
such  as  the  elder  Booth,  Kean,  and  Forrest,  in  a  manner 
that  was  excruciatingly  funny.  His  crowning  success 
was  an  imitation  of  Fannie  Ellsler,  the  famous  danseuse, 
who  had  won  the  hearts  of  New  York  by  her  grace  and 
beauty.  Ellsler's  piece  de  resistance  was  a  ballet  called 
La  Tarantule,  in  which  her  grace  and  agility  were  at  their 
best  and  aroused  the  wildest  enthusiasm  in  her  audiences 
at  the  Park.  Mitchell  called  his  caricature  The  Mosquitoe, 
and  arrayed  himself  as  an  exact  copy  of  the  original. 

He  was  a  short,  thick-set  man,  with  heavy,  bandy- 
legs,  and  red,  full-moon  comical  face;  and  he  made  up 
for  the  part  in  short  lace  petticoats, 


Amusement  Places  below  Union  Square  201 


his  dumpy  extremities  encased  in  flesh-colored  tights,  white 
satin  slippers  on  his  goodly  sized  feet,  streamers  of  gay  rib- 
bons fluttering  from  his  broad  shoulders,  his  big  round  head 
encircled  by  a  wreath  of  bright  flowers ;  standing  before  you  in 
a  position  of  exaggerated  grace,  and  with  a  fearful  assumption 
of  modesty,  tremulously  bowing  to  a  perfect  storm  of  cheers. 
Some  faint  conception  may  be  formed  of  the  nondescript 
apparition  advertised  to  personate  the  most  accomplished 
dancing  woman  of  the  age. 

In  the  item  of  graceful  repose,  Ellsler  by  common  consent 
won  the  day;  but  when  the  item  of  agility  comes  to  be  dis- 
cussed, critics  were  divided,  for  Mitchell  performed  wonders  in 
the  jumping  line,  that  were  instigated  by  his  arduous  efforts 
to  prevent  his  airy  apparel  from  unduly  rising  and  thus  pos- 
sibly shocking  the  more  sensitive  of  his  refined  audience.  The 
closing  scene  of  La  Tarantule  as  performed  by  Ellsler  was 
pronounced  the  "acme"  of  graceful  power,  for  Fanny's  aerial 
nights  were  stupendous;  they  carried  Young  America  to  the 
very  verge  of  hopeless  lunacy.  Mitchell's  genius  was,  how- 
ever, equal  to  such  an  emergency.  He  brought  rope  and 
hook  to  aid  him  in  his  determined  resolve  not  to  be  outdone 
by  a  woman,  and  the  burly  humorist  was  through  their  agency 
hoisted  high  in  air,  where  he  kicked  and  floundered  until  the 
spectators  were  worn  out  with  laughter,  when  he  displayed  a 
placard  which  triumphantly  informed  the  public  "that  he  could 
jump  higher  and  stay  longer  than  Fanny  ever  could." 

On  being  lowered  from  his  giddy  height  Mitchell  "pir- 
ouetted" for  a  while,  embowered  in  carrots,  turnips,  parsnips, 
and  onions,  and  when  backing  out  gave  vent  to  his  overflowing 
feelings  with  the  simple  broken  words,  "  Tousand  tank,  me 
art  too  fool,"  which  the  arch  knave  had  stolen  bodily  from 
the  idol  of  the  hour.  Ellsler  on  more  than  one  occasion 
witnessed  the  side-splitting  contortions  of  Mitchell,  and 
rewarded  the  incomparable  mimic  with  genuine  marks  of 
her  appreciation.* 

*  From  Last  Days  of  Knickerbocker  Life,  by  Abram  C.  Dayton. 


202  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


After  Mitchell,  Burton  had  it  for  a  short  time;  and 
on  November  6,  1850,  it  was  opened  as  Fellow's  Opera 
House  and  Hall  of  Lyrics  with  negro  minstrels.  It  was 
used  for  some  years  for  all  kinds  of  entertainments  that 
could  pay  the  rent,  and  was  called  the  American,  and 
in  1853,  Christy  and  Wood's  Minstrel  Hall.  The  "Old 
Circus,"  as  it  was  sometimes  called,  was  destroyed  by 
fire,  December  20,  1854;  but  was  rebuilt  and  reopened. 
It  became  the  Broadway  Boudoir  in  January,  i860, 
and  the  American  again  in  August,  1863.    It  was  finally 


NIBLO'S  GARDEN,  SHOWING  TENTS 


destroyed  by  fire  on  February  15,  1866,  the  City  Assem- 
bly Rooms,  which  were  overhead,  suffering  a  like  fate. 

In  early  years,  a  circus  called  the  Stadium  was 
established  on  the  northeast  corner  of  Prince  Street. 
Shortly  after  the  War  of  181 2,  it  was  used  as  a  place  for 
drilling  officers  of  the  militia;  later,  two  brick  buildings 
were  erected  on  the  site,  in  one  of  which  the  novelist 
Cooper  lived  for  some  time.  The  place  was  known  as 
the  Columbia  Gardens  in  1823  when  William  Niblo 
leased  it,  opening  it  as  a  restaurant  and  garden.  In  the 
garden  was  the  old  circus  building,  which  Niblo  converted 
into  a  fully  equipped  theatre  in  fifteen  days  after  the 
burning  of  the  Broadway  Theatre,  opening  it  July  4, 
1827.  A  larger  and  better  theatre  building  was  erected 
and  opened  in  1829,  which  was  known  until  its  last 


204         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


performance  on  March  23,  1895,  as  Niblo's  Garden. 
Niblo  retired  from  the  management  in  May,  1861,  and 
the  owner,  A.  T.  Stewart,  greatly  improved  the  house. 

In  1852,  the  Metropolitan  Hotel  was  erected  between 
the  theatre  and  Broadway,  but  the  entrance  to  the  theatre 
was  always  from  Broadway.  In  the  same  building  as 
the  theatre  was  Niblo's  Saloon,  given  over  to  concerts, 
spiritualistic  meetings,  etc.,  until  May  9,  1865,  when  it 
was  converted  into  the  dining-room  of  the  hotel.  While 
many  famous  actors  appeared  at  Niblo's,  it  is  probably 
best  remembered  by  the  performances  of  The  Black 
Crook  under  the  management  of  Jarrett  and  Palmer, 
whose  ballet  and  spectacular  effects,  not  to  mention  the 
wwdressiness  of  the  women  performers,  shocked  the  sense 
of  propriety  of  the  people  of  that  era.  The  play  had  a 
great  run,  opening  September  12,  1866,  and  closing 
January  4,  1868,  after  four  hundred  and  seventy-five 
performances;  it  was  revived  two  years  later.  If  some 
of  the  shocked  people  of  that  day  could  see  some  of  our 
recent  plays,  they  would,  by  contrast,  consider  The 
Black  Crook  as  fairly  decent.  The  hotel  and  theatre 
were  both  demolished  in  1895  to  make  way  for  a  large 
office  building. 

When  I  was  thirteen  I  made  my  first  acquaintance 
with  Scott  in  his  novel  of  Ivanhoe,  a  novel  which  I  have 
read  several  times  since  and  which  has  never  lost  its 
glamor  for  me.  A  couple  of  years  later  I  accepted  an 
invitation  from  my  brother,  the  late  William  R.  Jenkins, 
who  was  at  that  time  a  dramatic  critic  and  writer,  to 
visit  Niblo's  and  see  a  dramatization  of  Ivanhoe.  There 
we  chanced  to  meet  Mr.  O'Kelly,  dramatic  critic  of  the 
Herald,  who,  while  correspondent  of  that  paper  in  Cuba, 
had  been  arrested  and  imprisoned  in  Havana,  there- 
by almost  causing  an  international  complication.  The 


Amusement  Places  below  Union  Square  205 

only  member  of  the  cast  that  I  remember  was  lone 
Burke,  who  impersonated  Rebecca.  Perhaps  my  thoughts 
of  chivalry  had  been  too  high  pitched,  or  perhaps  it 
was  the  scoffing  of  the  two  critics  at  the  idea  of  a  "blonde 
Jewess,"  but  I  remember  the  play  impressed  me  as  the 
veriest  bathos.  We  stayed  but  one  act  and  then  wended 
our  way  to  Booth's  Theatre  at  Twenty-third  Street  and 
Sixth  Avenue,  where  George  Rignold  was  giving  a  benefit 
performance  for  some  one — perhaps  himself.  Rignold 
was  the  first  of  the  "matinee  idols,"  and  his  performance 
of  the  gallant  and  heroic  Henry  the  Fifth  had  taken  by 
storm  the  hearts  of  the  feminine  portion  of  the  com- 
munity. This  evening,  he  played  Romeo,  much  to  the 
amusement  of  the  critics  of  all  our  papers,  who  united 
in  genially  roasting  him. 

I  visited  Niblo's  several  times  afterwards,  seeing 
spectacular  plays,  Irish  dramas,  and  what  not.  One  of 
the  funniest  performances  I  ever  saw  on  any  stage  was 
at  Niblo's;  it  was  The  Babes  in  the  Wood,  with  George 
Fortescue,  who  weighed  in  the  neighborhood  of  three  hun- 
dred, and  Harry  Mestayer,  who  weighed  well  over  two 
hundred,  in  the  characters  of  the  little  girl  and  boy  who 
were  the  victims  of  the  cruel  uncle.  To  add  to  the  ludi- 
crous character  of  the  performance,  the  part  of  the  captain 
of  the  band  of  kidnappers  was  taken  by  a  dwarf  less  than 
four  feet  high — "Little  Mac,"  I  think  he  was  called. 
The  sight  of  this  diminutive  ruffian  kidnapping  the  gigan- 
tic Fortescue  was  too  funny  for  words.  The  last  time 
I  visited  Niblo's  was  to  see  a  play  in  which  Minnie  Selig- 
man  Cutting,  a  Jewish  actress  who  had  married  a  member 
of  the  old  Knickerbocker  family,  took  the  leading  part. 
I  have  forgotten  the  name  of  the  play — it  was  laid  among 
the  ancient  barbarians,  either  Britons,  Teutons,  or  Scan- 
dinavians, and  it  was  well  done,  but  it  was  not  a  success. 


206         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Niblo's  was  already  out  of  the  world,  and  its  audiences, 
recruited  principally  from  the  neighborhood,  had  little 
appreciation  for  and  less  knowledge  of  the  ancient  bar- 


tripler's  hall,  or  metropolitan  hall,  1854 


barians  who  overturned  the  Roman  empire — their  prefer- 
ence was  melodrama. 

Tripler's  Hall  was  opened  at  677  Broadway  near 
Bond  Street  in  1850.  Jenny  Lind  was  to  have  opened 
the  house,  but  it  was  not  ready  upon  her  arrival  early 
in  September  of  that  year  and  so  she  appeared  under 
the  management  of  Barnum  at  Castle  Garden;  she  sang 


Amusement  Places  below  Union  Square  207 

at  Tripler's  in  October.  On  the  twenty- seventh  of 
September,  the  hall,  which  was  known  both  as  Tripler's 
and  as  the  Metropolitan,  was  opened  by  Henrietta 
Sontag  in  concert,  repeating  here  her  European  successes. 
On  the  twenty -fourth  of  February,  1852,  a  memorial 
service,  presided  over  by  Daniel  Webster  and  addressed 
by  Washington  Irving  and  William  Cullen  Bryant,  was 
held  in  honor  of  the  novelist  Cooper,  who  had  died  in  the 
preceding  September.  On  September  22,  1853,  Adelina 
Patti,  then  a  child  ten  years  old,  appeared  in  concert, 
and  gave  promise  of  the  wonderful  voice  which  was  later 
to  enthrall  the  world.  On  January  8,  1854,  Metropolitan 
Hall  and  the  adjoining  La  Farge  House  were  destroyed 
by  fire ;  but  the  hall  was  rebuilt  and  opened  in  the  following 
September,  under  the  name  of  the  New  York  Theatre 
and  Metropolitan  Opera  House.  The  great  French 
actress  Rachel  appeared  here  in  1855  and  during  her 
engagement  contracted  a  severe  cold  which  resulted  in 
her  death. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  same  year  the  house  was 
remodelled  and  called  Laura  Keene's  Varieties;  and  in 
the  following  year,  it  became  Burton's  Theatre.  In  1859 
it  became  the  Winter  Garden  and  Conservatory  of  the 
Arts,  the  first  part  of  the  title  being  that  by  which  it  is 
best  known  and  which  it  retained  until  its  total  destruc- 
tion by  fire,  March  23,  1867.  The  La  Farge  House  was 
destroyed  at  the  same  time,  but  was  rebuilt  with  a  man- 
sard roof  and  called  the  Grand  Central  Hotel.  As  the 
Winter  Garden,  the  theatre  was  the  scene  of  many 
notable  performances;  among  others,  those  of  Edwin 
Booth.  I  remember  seeing  here  John  E.  Owens  in  the 
title  role  of  the  play  Solon  Shingle,  whose  father  "fit  in 
the  Revolution. " 

When  the  fire  occurred  in  the  La  Farge  House,  G.  P. 


208  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Putnam  was  located  at  661,  adjoining  the  Winter  Garden 
Theatre.  The  fire  threatened  661,  and  the  books  and 
stationery  of  Putnam  were  carried  across  the  way  into 
Charles  Scribner's  store.  The  present  firm  of  Charles 
Scribner's  Sons  is  the  direct  descendant  of  Baker  & 
Scribner,  established  in  1846.  The  publishers  and  book- 
sellers could  afford  to  locate  on  Broadway.  With  the 
exception  of  Cooper,  who  was  a  rich  man  and  independent 
of  literature,  I  can  find  no  other  literary  man  who  had 
a  house  on  Broadway — as  given  elsewhere,  there  were 
several  who  boarded  or  lodged  on  the  street.  Probably, 
in  those  days,  as  in  these,  the  charge  was  made  that  it 
was  the  publisher  who  became  rich. 

At  485  Broadway,  near  Broome  Street,  John  Brougham 
built  and  opened  the  Lyceum  in  1850;  the  performances 
were  principally  burlesques  and  farces.  James  W. 
Wallack  secured  the  house  and  opened  it  on  September 
8,  1852,  with  his  sons,  Lester  and  Charles,  as  stage- 
manager  and  treasurer.  It  was  the  successor  of  the  old 
Park  Theatre  in  the  selection  and  presentation  of  its 
plays,  and  was  steadily  successful  for  nearly  ten  years 
until  the  playgoers  had  moved  up-town.  The  prices 
of  admission  were  fifty  and  twenty-five  cents.  The 
elder  Wallack  ended  his  career  here  as  ?n  actor,  but  not 
as  a  manager;  as  in  1861  he  removed  to  the  northeast 
corner  of  Thirteenth  Street.  After  Wallack  left  Number 
485,  the  theatre  was  continued  under  various  managers 
and  names  and  underwent  various  vicissitudes — German 
opera,  melodrama,  the  legitimate,  concerts,  Lent's  Circus 
—until  1864,  when  it  came  under  Wood's  management 
for  several  years,  being  torn  down  in  1869  to  make  place 
for  dry-goods  stores. 

James  W.  Wallack's  last  appearance  on  the  stage 
was  at  the  close  of  the  season  of  1862,  when  he  made  his 


2io  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


farewell  speech ;  he  died  two  years  later.  The  Thirteenth 
Street  theatre  was  continued  by  his  more  famous  son 
Lester;  and  Wallack's  Theatre  and  its  stock  company 
became  synonymous  with  all  that  is  best  in  dramatic 
art — in  acting,  in  scenery,  in  stage  management  and 
presentation,  and  in  the  play  itself.  The  fact  that  an 
actor  had  been  a  member  of  Wallack's  company  was 
sufficient  recommendation  as  to  ability  and  training 
to  secure  him  admission  into  almost  any  theatre  com- 
pany in  the  land;  although  Thomas  Allston  Brown  says 
that  Wallack  never  made  a  good  actor,  but  only  engaged 
those  who  already  had  reputations.  The  first  theatre 
I  ever  attended  n  my  life  was  Wal  ack's ;  the  play  was, 
1  believe,  The  Clandestine  Marriage,  though  I  have  little 
recollection  of  it.  I  have  very  distinct  recollections  of 
many  another  play  at  Wallack's,  as  at  one  time  in  my 
life  I  was  a  regular  first-nighter  here,  and  I  remember 
some  famous  casts,  especially  of  The  School  for  Scandal 
with  John  Gilbert,  John  Brougham,  Charles  Coghlan, 
Charles  Rockwell,  E.  M.  Holland,  and  Harry  Becket, 
Madam  Ponisi,  Efhe  Germon,  Stella  Boniface,  and  Rose 
Coghlan.  In  1881,  Wallack's  was  about  the  only  theatre 
on  Broadway  below  Twenty-third  Street,  as  the  theatre- 
going  public  had  deserted  lower  Broadway;  so  a  new 
theatre  was  built  at  Thirtieth  Street  which  Wallack 
managed  almost  up  to  the  time  of  his  death. 

After  Lester  Wallack  retired  from  the  management 
of  the  Thirteenth  Street  house,  it  became  for  a  time 
the  German  Theatre,  passing  later  into  the  management 
of  Henry  E.  Abbey,  who  presented  grand  opera.  Wallack 
resumed  possession  January  10,  1883,  and  the  house  was 
reopened  as  the  Star,  March  twenty-sixth.  Then 
followed  such  a  galaxy  of  actors  as  Modjeska,  Lawrence 
Barrett,  Booth,  McCullough,  Wilson  Barrett,  Boucicault, 


Amusement  Places  below  Union  Square  211 

Florence,  Irving,  Hermann,  Robson,  and  Crane.  But  its 
days  were  numbered,  and  toward  the  last,  it  was  given 
over  to  melodrama.  The  last  performance,  The  Man- 
o'-war's  Man,  was  g  ven  in  April,  1901.  It  was  a  very 
rainy  night,  otherwise  there  would  probably  have  been 
more  people  in  the  theatre  to  say  good-bye  to  the  old 
house.  At  the  end  of  the  performance  there  was  a 
demonstration  on  the  part  of  the  audience,  led  by  the 
photographer  Rockwood;  and  those  present  united  in 
singing  Auld  Lang  Syne  before  dispersing  to  their  homes. 
The  building  was  demolished  shortly  afterward  to  make 
room  for  a  great  business  structure.  What  recollections 
of  great  acting  and  fine  casts  the  very  name  of  Wal.ack's 
brings  to  those  of  us  who  are  middle-aged! 

The  Chinese  Rooms  at  539  and  541,  above  Spring 
Street,  were  opened  September  1,  185 1,  with  the  Bloomer 
Company,  all  ladies,  who  dressed  in  the  bloomer  costume 
and  gave  fine  concerts.  In  February,  1852,  it  became 
the  Broadway  Casino  and  in  1853,  Buckley's  Minstrel 
Hall.  As  the  Melodeon  Concert  Hall  (1858-61)  it 
became  notorious  and  one  of  the  sights  of  New  York, 
as  in  that  neighborhood  was  the  "Tenderloin"  of  the 
day,  with  many  gambling  saloons  and  worse  places. 
After  the  fire  of  July,  1865,  which  burned  out  his  Ann 
Street  place,  Barnum  rebuilt  the  Melodeon  Hall  and 
opened  it  September  6,  1865,  as  Barnum's  New  Museum. 
I  was  an  occasional  visitor  here  as  a  boy  and  remember 
seeing  Tom  Thumb  and  Minnie  Warren  as  well  as  some 
of  the  giants  and  the  play  of  The  Octoroon  in  the  lecture 
room.  Fire  broke  out  in  the  part  of  the  building  occupied 
by  Van  Amburgh's  Menagerie  on  March  3,  1868,  and 
the  place  was  destroyed.  It  was  very  cold  weather, 
and  the  front  of  the  house  and  the  fire  ladders  were  en- 
cased in  ice,  while  the  firemen  looked  like  walking  icicles. 


212  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


A  second  Broadway  Theatre  was  opened  in  August, 
1837,  on  the  east  side  of  Broadway  near  Walker  Street 
in  a  building  formerly  known  as  Euterpean  Hall  and  the 
Apollo  Saloon;  but  the  enterprise  was  soon  abandoned. 


BROADWAY  THEATRE,  EAST  SIDE  OF  BROADWAY,  BETWEEN  PEARL  AND 
WORTH  STREETS,  I85O 


Across  the  street,  at  Number  412,  was  the  Apollo  Bail- 
Room,  a  very  popular  resort  for  politicians  opposed  to 
Tammany  Hall.  In  May,  1844,  the  Congo  Minstrels, 
later  called  the  Negro  Minstrels,  appeared  at  Apollo 
Hall.    During  the  time  of  Fernando  Wood,  the  building 


Amusement  Places  below  Union  Square  213 

became  the  headquarters  of  the  Apollo  Hall,  or  Wood, 
democracy. 

During  the  vogue  of  the  Apollo  Bail-Room,  it  was  the 
resort  of  many  of  the  younger  set,  who  here  found  a 
freedom  of  action  and  dancing  which  they  were  denied 
in  the  sedate  affairs  of  society.  In  fact,  patronizing 
the  Apollo  became  a  mild  kind  of  dissipation  among  the 
society  youths,  just  as  at  a  later  day  it  was  considered 
the  proper  thing  to  visit  "Harry  Hill's"  in  Houston 
Street. 

The  Old  Broadway  Theatre  was  located  on  the  east 
side  of  the  street,  between  Pearl  and  Worth  Streets,  and 
was  opened,  on  September  27,  1847,  with  The  School  for 
Scandal  and  Used  Up,  in  the  latter  of  which  Mr.  John 
Lester  (Wallack)  made  his  first  appearance  on  the  Amer- 
ican stage.  The  house  had  been  projected  by  "Tom" 
Hamblin;  but  he  was  not  able  to  carry  the  enterprise 
through,  so  that  the  first  manager  was  Alvah  Mann, 
who  later  took  Ethelbert  A.  Marshall  into  partnership. 
The  firm  lasted  until  October  25,  1848,  when  Marshall 
became  sole  manager  and  remained  so  until  May  1,  1858. 
By  this  time,  the  theatre  had  become  too  far  down-town, 
the  houses  were  declining,  and  Marshall  was  losing  money. 
Many  famous  actors  appeared  upon  the  boards  of  the 
Broadway;  and  it  was  here  that  Forrest  and  Macready 
earned  their  greatest  laurels.  The  theatre  closed  on 
April  2,  1859,  and  shortly  afterward,  it  was  torn  down. 

Laura  Keene's  Varieties  at  624,  above  Houston 
Street,  was  opened  November  18,  1856,  and  remained 
under  her  management  until  May  8,  1863  The  theatre 
was  remarkable  for  presenting  all  sorts  of  plays  and  for 
the  ability  of  the  actors  who  appeared;  among  these  we 
find  the  elder  Sothern,  Jefferson,  Mrs.  D.  P.  Bowers, 
Matilda  Heron,  and  Laura  Keene  herself.    For  a  period 


214  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


of  six  months,  it  became  Jane  English's  Theatre;  and 
then,  on  October  8,  1863,  it  became  Mrs.  John  Wood's 
Olympic  until  June  30,  1866,  and  was  as  famous  as  under 
the  management  of  Laura  Keene.  It  then  passed  under 
new  management;  and  on  March  10,  1868,  there  was 
produced  the  great  pantomime  of  Humpty  Dumpty  with 
George  L.  and  Charles  K.  Fox  as  clown  and  pantaloon. 
The  play  was  performed  four  hundred  and  eighty-three 
times  to  box-office  receipts  of  $1,406,000  before  it  was 
withdrawn  on  May  15,  1869.  I  saw  the  play  twice  and 
shall  never  forget  it;  I  also  saw  here  Under  the  Gaslight. 
Humpty  Dumpty  was  revived  August  31,  1873,  for  a  run 
of  three  hundred  and  thirty-three  performances,  and 
again  on  February  17, 1875,  for  a  run  of  one  hundred  and 
twenty-seven  more.  Augustin  Daly  was  one  of  the 
last  managers  of  this  theatre.  The  final  performance  was 
given  in  the  house  on  April  17,  1880,  shortly  after  which 
the  building  was  torn  down.  The  last  performances  of 
George  L.  Fox  were  attended  with  a  strong  element  of 
pathos.  It  is  stated  that  the  powder  he  used  for  whiten- 
ing his  face  and  head — bismuth,  I  believe — had  pene- 
trated to  his  brain  and  produced  insanity.  He  would 
be  brought  to  the  theatre,  made  up,  and  set  upon  the 
stage ;  and  so  much  had  the  character  of  the  clown  become 
a  part  of  his  very  nature  that  he  would  go  through  his 
part  and  be  as  excruciatingly  funny  as  in  his  best  days. 

Buckley's  Hall  at  585,  opposite  the  Metropolitan 
Hotel,  was  opened  with  Buckley's  Minstrels,  August 
25,  1856.  Ill  luck  seemed  to  be  the  fate  of  the  house; 
for  until  May  8,  1865,  it  changed  its  name  a  dozen  times 
at  least  and  was  under  numerous  managers.  On  this 
latter  date  its  luck  changed,  for  the  San  Francisco  Min- 
strels took  possession  and  remained  until  1870.  During 
the  next  five  years,  the  theatre  changed  its  name  three 


216         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


times,  the  last  time  becoming  the  Metropolitan  under 
Tony  Pastor,  until  April  i,  1881.  Many  actors  and 
actresses,  as  Lillian  Russell  and  the  Irwin  Sisters,  who 
later  became  famous,  began  their  careers  in  this  house 
under  Tony  Pastor. 

Wood's  Minstrel  Hall  at  514,  below  Spring  Street, 
was  opened  July  7,  1862.  It  became  Wood's  Theatre 
on  June  15,  1866,  with  performances  of  the  legitimate 
drama;  but  changed  its  character  in  September  of  the 
same  year  when  it  became  the  German  Thalia  Theatre. 
March  2,  1867,  it  again  changed  to  Wood's  Theatre 
Comique.  Harrigan  and  Hart  appeared  here  December 
2,  1872;  and  after  it  had  been  in  the  hands  of  other 
managers  with  variety  performances,  they  obtained 
possession  again  on  August  7,  1876,  and  kept  it  until 
April  30,  1 88 1,  when  the  building  was  torn  down  and 
converted  into  stores.  It  was  during  this  time  that 
they  produced  "The  Mulligan  Guard  "  series.  I  remem- 
ber dropping  into  the  theatre  one  afternoon  in  1877 
and  seeing  the  play  of  Old  Lavender.  The  audience  was 
small,  the  house  was  dirty  and  dingy,  and  the  curtain 
did  not  reach  the  stage  when  lowered;  yet  I  felt  like  a 
discoverer  as  I  remarked  to  my  companion  about  the 
excellence  of  the  acting  in  such  inharmonious  surround- 
ings and  prophesied  a  career  for  the  protagonist  of  the 
play. 

Wood's  Marble  Hall  at  561  and  563,  on  the  west  side 
near  Prince  Street,  was  famous  for  minstrels  fifty  or 
sixty  years  ago.  George  Holland  became  a  member  of 
Wood  and  Christy's  Minstrels  on  October  15,  1857. 
That  was  the  time  of  the  panic,  and  Holland  felt  im- 
pelled to  offer  a  semi-apology  to  the  public  in  leaving 
the  legitimate  drama.  He  stated  that  times  were  so 
bad  that  the  managers  of  the  regular  theatres  could  not 


Amusement  Places  below  Union  Square  217 

pay  salaries,  and  as  he  had  a  family  to  support  it  was 
necessary  for  him  to  earn  money.  As  soon  as  times 
became  better  he  would  return  to  his  usual  roles;  in  the 
meantime  he  would  play  his  regular  parts  of  low  comedy, 
the  only  difference  being  that  whereas  he  usually  put 
red  paint  on  his  face,  now  he  was  going  to  put  black. 
The  house  was  torn  down  in  July,  1877. 

The  Atheneum.  The  Church  of  the  Messiah,  Uni- 
tarian, had  been  at  724  (later,  728)  Broadway,  near 
Waverly  Place,  from  1839  to  1864,  when  the  congregation 
moved  to  other  quarters.  The  church  edifice  took  on  a 
deserted  and  dilapidated  appearance  and  was  bought 
by  A.  T.  Stewart,  who  renovated  it  and  opened  it  as 
the  Broadway  Atheneum  on  January  23,  1865.  Eleven 
months  later,  after  being  completely  transformed  archi- 
tecturally, it  became  Lucy  Rushton's  Theatre,  and  the 
house  was  dedicated  to  the  legitimate  drama;  but  the 
lessee  failed  to  pay  the  government  revenue  tax  and  so 
had  to  give  it  up.  From  this  time  until  1881,  its  names 
and  managers  were  numerous,  and  the  performances  ran 
the  whole  range  from  opera  to  variety.  I  remember 
seeing  The  Streets  of  New  York  here  in  1869  when  it 
was  called  the  Worrell  Sisters'  New  York  Theatre.  Mrs. 
Scott-Siddons,  with  whose  husband  Sothern,  Nelse  Sey- 
mour, Dan  Bryant,  and  other  jokers  of  the  stage  had  had 
so  much  fun,  made  her  American  debut  here  in  Shakes- 
pearian roles.  At  one  time  it  was  Daly's  Fifth  Avenue 
Theatre  after  that  manager's  Twenty-fourth  Street 
house  had  been  burned  on  January  1,  1873;  but  he  had 
the  good  taste  to  see  the  incongruity  of  the  name  and 
changed  it  the  second  year  of  his  management  to  Daly's 
Broadway  Theatre.  It  also  bore  the  name  of  Globe 
Theatre  three  several  times;  but  its  name  was  changed 
for  the  last  time  when  Harrigan  and  Hart  opened  it 


218  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


as  the  New  Theatre  Comique  on  October  29,  1881. 
The  new  lessees  had  made  it  one  of  the  handsomest 
theatres  in  the  city;  and  it  became  immensely  popular 
with  the  presentation  of  Harrigan's  various  plays  with 
his  stock  company,  which  changed  very  little  from 
year  to  year,  so  that  every  member  was  well-known  to 
and  beloved  by  the  public.  The  house  was  destroyed 
by  fire  December  23,  1884,  and  the  ground  remained 
idle  for  a  long  time;  then  it  became  the  Old  London 
Street,  February  26,  1887,  and  after  a  period  of  vacancy 
a  gymnasium  for  sporting  and  sparring  exhibitions  in 
1896.  This  last  building  was  demolished  in  September, 
1902;  and  at  this  writing  (February,  191 1)  the  lots  from 
724  to  732  are  unbuilt  upon. 

Hope  Chapel,  formerly  a  church  on  the  east  side  of 
Broadway  below  Eighth  Street,  was  opened  as  a  place 
of  amusement  on  March  28,  1853,  for  lectures,  spiritu- 
alists, etc.  The  Davenport  Brothers  exhibited  here  their 
spirit  cabinet  and  mystified  their  audiences.  It  became 
the  Broadway  Academy  of  Music  in  1864,  and  a  year 
later,  Blitz's  New  Hall,  given  over  to  concerts,  etc. 
When  I  was  a  boy,  I  saw  Blitz  here  with  his  tricks  and 
his  wonderful  trained  canaries.  Kelly  and  Leon  ran  it 
as  a  minstrel  hall  from  1866  to  1870,  during  which  time 
I  was  an  occasional  visitor,  taking  especial  delight  in 
the  tall,  lanky,  and  exceedingly  funny  Nelse  Seymour, 
who  was  a  member  of  the  company.  The  minstrel 
burlesques  in  black  of  some  of  the  popular  plays  were 
also  very  funny ;  The  Grand  Dutch  "  S, "  a  take-off  of  Oft  en  - 
bach's  opera  bouffe,  being  very  amusing  and  having  a 
run.  In  1870,  the  house  became  Lina  Edward's  Theatre 
for  two  years,  when  Kelly  and  Leon  took  it  once  more 
on  November  25,  1872 ;  three  days  afterwards  the  building 
was  destroyed  by  fire. 


Amusement  Places  below  Union  Square  219 

Among  the  minor  places  of  amusement  on  Broadway 
below  Union  Square  were:  Minerva  Rooms  at  460, 
where  light  entertainments,  concerts,  and  lectures  were 
given  between  1847  and  1853;  the  Old  Stuyvesant  at 
663,  opposite  Bond  Street  (1852),  later,  Academy  Hall, 
Donaldson's  Opera  House,  The  Canterbury,  and  Mozart 
Hall  until  1862;  Empire  Hall,  later  the  Santa  Claus,  at 
596,  next  to  the  Metropolitan  Hotel,  between  February, 

1853,  and  January,  1859;  the  Broadway  Museum  and 
Menagerie  at  337,  between  November,  1853,  and  April, 

1854,  during  which  time  Chang  and  Eng,  the  Siamese 
Twins,  were  on  exhibition;  the  Broadway  Atheneum  at 
654,  between  Bleecker  and  Bond  Streets,  on  the  site  of 
the  As  tor  mansion,  where  light  drama  was  given,  making 
it  one  of  the  most  popular  places  in  New  York  sixty 
years  ago;  World  Hall  at  337  and  339,  corner  of  White 
Street,  devoted  to  panoramas  in  1854;  Bunnell's  Mu- 
seum, corner  of  Ninth  Street,  west  side,  1880  to  1883; 
Washington  Hall  at  598  in  1851;  and  the  Art  Union 
Rooms  and  Concert  Hall  at  495  and  497,  from  1852  to 
i860. 


CHAPTER  X 


FROM  UNION  SQUARE  TO  FORTY-SECOND  STREET 

S  before  stated,  the  Bowery  and 
Broadway  were  designed  by  the 
commission  of  1807  to  meet  at 
the  "tulip  tree";  above  this  was 
the  Bloomingdale  road,  into 
which  the  Bowery  curved  slightly 
from  its  route  over  that  part 
of  the  present  Fourth  Avenue 
below  Fourteenth  Street.  If  the 
streets  planned  by  the  commission  were  cut  through 
from  east  to  west,  there  would  be  formed  at  this  place 
a  number  of  irregular  blocks  of  inconvenient  size  and 
shape.  To  get  out  of  this  dilemma,  the  commission 
laid  out  at  this  point  a  small  park  where  fresh  air  might 
be  obtained  when  the  city  blocks  should  be  built  up. 
This  park  they  called  Union  Place,  because  here  was 
the  union  of  the  two  principal  thoroughfares  of  the 
island.  In  18 15,  by  act  of  the  legislature,  it  became 
the  public  meeting-place,  or  commons,  for  the  people 
of  the  city;  but  it  was  many  years  before  it  was  used  for 
anything  else  than  for  the  shanties  of  the  squatters 
who  occupied  the  site.  Like  nearly  all  the  public  parks 
of  the  city,  it  had  before  18 15  been  used  as  a  potter's 

220 


From  Union  Square  to  Forty-Second  Street  221 


field.  In  1832,  the 
corporation  deter- 
mined  to  enlarge  and 
regulate  the  place  to 
its  present  area,  from 
Fourteenth  to  Sev- 
enteenth streets  and 
from  Fourth  Avenue 
to  the  extended  north 
line  of  University 
Place.  It  was  not  un- 
til 1845,  however, 
that  with  an  expend- 
iture of  one  hundred 
and  sixteen  thousand 
dollars,  the  park  was 
put  into  shape  and 
that  the  elegant 
mansions  were  erect- 
ed which  once  sur- 
rounded the  park,  a 
few  of  which  still 
remain  as  business 
places.  Samuel  B. 
Ruggles,  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  Bank 
o  f  Commerce,  was 
chiefly  instrumental 
in  developing  as  a 
fashionable  part  of 
the  city  this  section 
as  well  as  Gramercy 
Square. 


'Sr.* 


fin  OR  PLACS 


JUNCTION  OF  BROADWAY  AND  THE  BOWERY 


In  1762,  Elias  Brevoort  sold  twenty-two  acres  of  his 


222  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


farm,  extending  from  the  Bowery  westward  between  the 
present  Fourteenth  and  Sixteenth  streets,  to  John  Smith, 
from  whose  executors  the  farm  passed  in  1788  to  Henry 
Spingler,  a  shop-keeper  of  New  York,  for  nine  hundred 
and  fifty  pounds.  Spingler's  farmhouse  stood  within 
the  limits  of  Union  Square.  Other  farms  as  far  as 
Twenty-third  Street  on  the  west  side  belonged  to  Thomas 
Burling,  John  Cowman,  Isaac  Clason,  Sir  Peter  Warren, 
Isaac  Varian,  and  Christian  Milderberger.  On  the  east 
side,  were  the  two  farms  of  Cornelius  Williams  and 
John  Watts.  At  the  corner  of  the  present  Seventeenth 
Street  and  the  Bloomingdale  Road  was  a  square  acre 
of  ground  belonging  to  the  Manhattan  Bank,  acquired 
so  it  is  supposed,  as  a  sort  of  refuge  for  conducting  business 
in  case  of  being  driven  from  the  city  by  the  yellow  fever. 

The  hotel  known  as  the  Spingler  House  stood  for 
many  years  on  the  west  side  of  the  square  on  the  site 
now  occupied  by  the  Spingler  building;  on  the  south  side, 
near  University  Place,  was  a  fashionable  restaurant 
called  the  Maison  Doree;  on  the  southeast  corner  of 
Broadway  and  Fourteenth  Street  is  the  Hotel  Churchill, 
formerly  the  Morton  House,  and  originally  the  Union 
Place  Hotel,  established  in  1850. 

The  section  surrounding  Union  Square  for  several 
blocks  was  for  a  great  many  years  the  ultra-fashionable 
part  of  the  city.  Among  the  prominent  shops  which 
occupied  the  west  side  of  the  square  was  the  great  jewelry 
house  of  Tiffany  &  Co.,  which  moved  here  from  Broadway 
and  Broome  Street  in  1870,  occupying  a  site  upon  which 
formerly  had  stood  the  Spingler  Institute.  Tiffany 
remained  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Fifteenth  Street 
until  1905,  when  the  business  was  moved  to  Fifth  Avenue 
and  Thirty-sixth  Street,  as  the  highest  class  of  trade 
was  moving  to  that  avenue.    Schirmer,  and  Ditson  & 


From  Union  Square  to  Forty-Second  Street  223 

Co.,  the  leading  music  dealers  and  publishers  of  the  city, 
were  also  here  for  many  years  before  moving  up-town. 
In  fact,  many  of  the  leading  stores  of  the  city  have  moved 
from  this  vicinity  within  the  past  five  years.  To  show 
how  the  retail  trade  is  departing,  I  will  repeat  a  story 
of  one  great  house  of  international  reputation,  located 
near  Twentieth  Street,  which  spent  $6000  more  in 
advertising  in  December,  19 10,  than  in  previous  years 
and  did  $55,000  less  business  in  the  same  month.  The 
assessed  valuation  of  property  in  this  neighborhood  for 
taxes  has  been  decreased  in  some  cases  for  19 10. 

The  Gorham  Company  of  silversmiths  was  at  Nine- 
teenth Street  for  nearly  thirty  years,  moving  to  upper 
Fifth  Avenue  in  1906.  The  great  grocery  house  of 
Park  &  Tilford,  which  had  occupied  the  southwest 
corner  of  Twenty-first  Street  for  forty  years,  moved  to 
the  Brunswick  building  on  Fifth  Avenue  in  the  fall  of 
1910.  The  last  of  the  old  mansions  that  once  stood 
in  this  neighborhood  was  one  belonging  to  Peter  Goelet 
at  the  northeast  corner  of  Nineteenth  Street;  it  stood 
until  June,  1897,  amid  the  great  business  houses  that 
surrounded  it.  It  was  a  rather  gloomy  place  with  few 
signs  of  occupancy  except  some  peacocks  which  strutted 
proudly  around  within  the  railed  garden  in  front  of  the 
house  and  attracted  the  attention  of  the  passers-by. 
Most  of  the  other  great  houses  on  the  thoroughfare  be- 
tween Union  and  Madison  Squares — Arnold,  Constable 
&  Co.,  Lord  &  Taylor,  Aitken  &  Son,  Sloan's,  Brooks 
Brothers,  and  others — are  too  well  known  at  present 
to  call  for  description. 

On  July  4,  1856,  the  first  statue  erected  in  New  York 
since  that  of  George  III.  in  1770,  was  unveiled  with 
appropriate  honors  in  the  southeast  corner  of  the  square. 
It  is  the  equestrian  statue  of   George  Washington, 


224         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


designed  by  Henry  K.  Brown.  It  stands  near  the  spot 
where  the  citizens  of  New  York  met  Washington  on 
the  Bowery  Road  when  he  was  entering  the  city  to  take 
possession  upon  its  evacuation  by  the  British,  November 
25>  l7&3-  At  the  head  of  Broadway  is  the  statue  of  the 
gallant  Frenchman  Lafayette,  who  gave  not  only  money 
and  supplies  to  the  American  army,  but  his  personal 


THE  STATUE  OF  LAFAYETTE  IN  UNION  SQUARE 


services  as  well,  and  with  such  marked  ability  as  to 
deserve  well  of  the  American  people.  The  statue  is  by 
Bartholdi  and  was  given  to  the  city  in  1876  by  its  French 
residents.  In  the  southwest  corner  of  the  square,  is 
the  statue  of  him  who  is  called  by  Lowell  "the  first 
American."  The  Lincoln  statue  was  modelled  by  Brown 
and  was  erected  by  popular  subscription.    It  would 


From  Union  Square  to  Forty-Second  Street  225 

be  a  good  thing  if  popular  subscript  on  would  take  it 
down  again  and  erect  in  its  place  a  truly  artistic  statue 
of  the  Great  Liberator  commensurate  with  the  greatness 
of  the  subject  and  of  the  city  which  desires  to  do  him 
honor. 

For  many  years  the  park  was  enclosed  by  an  iron 


THE  WEST  SIDE  OF  UNION  SQUARE  IN   1 897 


railing;  but  about  twenty  years  ago,  the  city  authorities 
awakened  to  the  fact  that  the  public  parks  should  be 
free  at  all  hours,  especially  at  night  in  our  hot  spells, 
and  the  fence  was  removed.  The  fountain  was  erected 
in  anticipation  of  the  admission  of  Croton  water  and 
played  for  the  first  time  upon  the  day  of  the  great  cele- 
bration in  1842.  Several  smaller  fountains  for  drinking 
places  have  been  erected  about  the  park,  and  on  the 


226 


The  World's  Greatest  Street 


north  is  a  house  of  comfort  with  a  platform  facing  the 
open  space  of  Seventeenth  Street  from  which  speakers 
can  address  the  crowds  upon  public  occasions.  This 
has  been  a  favorite  out-door  gathering  place  upon  May- 
day and  Labor  day  for  the  socialistically  inclined;  and 
one  can  listen  upon  such  occasions  to  a  variety  of  denun- 
ciations by  wild-eyed  and  long-haired  foreign  citizens. 
You  may  not  be  able  to  understand  anything  they  say 
except  the  one  word  capitalisten,  which  is  hurled  with 
such  obvious  and  bitter  hatred  that  you  come  to  the 
conclusion  that  it  cannot  mean  anything  else  but  cap- 
italists. At  a  meeting  of  this  sort  on  March  28,  1908, 
a  bomb  was  hurled  at  the  police,  but  fortunately  no  one 
was  killed  except  the  hurler  of  the  missile.  For  some 
years  an  open  air  flower  market  has  been  held  in  the 
early  morning  at  the  north  end  of  the  Square. 

Of  a  different  class  from  the  socialistic  meetings  was 
the  great  meeting  in  Union  Square  on  the  twentieth 
of  April,  1861,  when  at  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon, 
over  one  hundred  thousand  people  assembled  in  mass 
convention  to  take  steps  to  redress  the  insult  to  the  flag, 
which  had  been  fired  upon  at  Sumter  less  than  ten  days 
before.  The  meeting  was  presided  over  by  John  A. 
Dix  with  eighty-seven  vice-presidents  from  the  leading 
men  of  the  community;  among  whose  names  you  will 
find  only  half  a  dozen,  which,  at  that  time,  would  have 
been  called  foreign.  The  list  began  with  Peter  Cooper 
and  ended  with  John  J.  Astor.  The  most  famous  of  the 
orators  who  addressed  the  meeting  was  Senator  Baker 
of  Oregon,  who,  during  the  Mexican  War,  had  led  a  New 
York  regiment  to  the  gates  of  the  city  of  Mexico,  and 
who,  a  few  months  later,  was  to  give  his  life  for  the  Union 
upon  the  disastrous  field  of  Ball's  Bluff,  on  the  soil  of 
the  Old  Dominion.    The  resolutions  adopted  by  the 


From  Union  Square  to  Forty-Second  Street  227 

meeting  gave  encouragement  to  the  Government  and 
showed  the  spirit  in  which  the  city  viewed  the  impending 
conflict. 

The  mayor  of  the  city  at  the  time  of  this  meeting 
was  Fernando  Wood,  a  wily  and  disloyal  politician, 
who  had  proposed  the  secession  of  the  city,  together 
with  Staten  and  Long  islands,  from  the  State  of  New 
York  and  the  formation  of  a  new  State,  to  be  called 
"  Tri-Insula. "  As  mayor,  he  was  chosen  to  preside  at 
this  meeting,  and  it  was  strongly  intimated  to  him  that 
it  was  as  much  as  his  place  was  worth  if  he  did  not  come 
out  boldly  for  the  Union.  With  this  threat  in  mind, 
and  doubtless  still  further  reminded  of  the  necessity 
of  being  loyal  by  the  shrill  cry  of  a  small  boy  perched 
in  a  tree:  "Now,  Nandy,  mind  what  you  say;  you  've 
got  to  stick  to  it  this  time,"  he  made  a  speech  in  accord 
with  the  loyal  sentiments  which  animated  the  great 
crowd.  A  short  time  after  the  meeting  there  was  formed 
a  club  of  loyal  and  patriotic  men,  modelled  after  a  similar 
one  in  Philadelphia,  and  called  the  "Union  League 
Club."  Its  object  was  to  assist  the  government  in 
raising  regiments  and  funds.  It  first  occupied  a  house 
loaned  for  the  purpose  by  Henry  G.  Marquand  at  the 
corner  of  Seventeenth  Street  and  Broadway,  later  moving 
to  Madison  Avenue  and  now  at  Fifth  Avenue  and  Thirty- 
ninth  Street;  its  membership  for  many  years  has  been 
restricted  to  members  of  the  Republican  party. 

One  of  my  earliest  boyish  recollections  is  of  a  military 
procession  in  Union  Square.  It  must  have  been  in  1865 
and  was  a  review  of  the  returning  troops  by  Governor 
Fenton;  for  I  remember  seeing  him  and  his  staff  on 
horseback.  Besides  the  great  crowd,  my  most  vivid 
remembrance  is  of  the  Seventy-ninth  Regiment  of 
Highlanders  and  of  another  regiment  whose  brilliant 


228  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


uniforms,  in  which  there  was  a  good  deal  of  red, 
particularly  impressed  me.  This  regiment  was  the 
Fifty-fifth,  called  the  French  Regiment  or  the  Lafayette 
Guards,  because  recruited  principally  from  men  of  that 
nationality. 

About  thirty  years  ago,  I  lived  not  very  far  from 
Union  Square  in  what  had  been  the  old  village  of  Chelsea. 
My  favorite  walk  on  summer  evenings  was  through 
Fourteenth  Street,  Union  Square,  Broadway  and  Twenty- 
third  Street.  I  remember  one  evening  passing  two  young 
fellows  on  the  Square,  who  were  evidently  discussing 
that  never-ending  question  of  what  one  would  do  if  he 
were  rich;  for  as  I  passed  them,  I  heard  one  say  to  the 
other:  "If  I  were  rich,  I  would  have  a  new  necktie  every 
day."  I  give  this  simply  to  show  how  various  are  the 
desires  of  the  human  heart.  I  trust  the  young  fellow 
has  been  able  to  achieve  his  aspiration  in  the  many 
years  that  have  since  elapsed. 

When  the  cable  road  was  built  on  Broadway,  it  was 
customary  for  the  cars  to  take  the  double  curve  from 
the  west  side  of  the  Square  into  Broadway  at  full  speed, 
the  company  stating  that  it  was  impossible  to  let  go  and 
grip  the  cable  while  on  the  curve — and  the  authorities 
believed  them.  So  many  accidents  occurred  here  that 
the  place  became  known  as  "deadman's  curve."  At 
last,  the  authorities  threatened  to  do  something — and 
the  car  company  immediately  found  a  contrivance  for 
picking  up  and  letting  go  the  cable  as  successfully  as  on 
a  straight  course. 

The  idea  of  a  surface  car  line  on  Broadway  had  its 
inception  as  early  as  1850,  and  a  company  of  thirty 
was  incorporated  for  the  purpose.  This  corporation,  of 
which  Jacob  Sharp  and  John  L.  O'Sullivan  were  the  prime 
movers,  secured  from  the  Common  Council  in  December, 


From  Union  Square  to  Forty-Second  Street  229 

1852,  a  franchise  "to  lay  a  double  track  in  Broadway  and 
Whitehall  or  State  Street  from  the  South  Ferry  to  Fifty- 
seventh  Street;  and  also,  hereafter  to  continue  the  same 
from  time  to  time  along  the  Bloomingdale  Road  to 
Manhattanville."  In  addition,  the  company  was  to 
give  free  transfers  to  omnibus  lines  at  a  number  of  cross 
streets  and  to  pay  an  almost  nominal  sum  to  the  city 
for  the  privileges  granted.  The  motive  power  was  to 
be  horses,  the  only  known  power  at  that  time  for  street 
traction  purposes.  In  granting  the  company  the  right 
to  extend  their  line  to  the  terra  incognita  of  Harlem, 
the  aldermen  little  thought  how  promptly  the  Man- 
hattanville section  would  be  built  up  and  that  their 
generous  grant  would  in  the  near  future  prove  to  be  of 
immense  value. 

As  Broadway  was  then  the  chief  residential  street  of 
the  best  society  of  the  city,  strong  objections  were  made, 
and  the  company  was  enjoined  from  building  the  road. 
The  matter  was  carried  into  the  courts,  where  the  fight 
lasted  for  over  thirty  years.  The  aldermen  and  assistant 
aldermen  who,  notwithstanding  the  vetoes  of  the  mayor, 
granted  this  and  other  franchises  without  adequate 
compensation  to  the  city,  were  denominated  ' '  The  Forty 
Thieves,"  as  each  board  consisted  of  twenty  members. 
William  M.  Tweed  was  at  this  time  an  alderman,  and 
Richard  B.  Connolly,  his  coadjutor  in  the  later  infamous 
Tweed  ring,  was  already  known  in  political  and  municipal 
affairs  as  "Slippery  Dick."  As  a  result  of  failing  to 
obey  an  order  restraining  them  from  granting  the 
franchise,  many  of  the  aldermen  were  fined  and  one 
was  imprisoned  for  contempt  of  court.  When  the  rail- 
road matter  was  finally  settled  in  1885,  most  of  the  alder- 
men of  1852  were  dead  and  not  more  than  half  a  dozen 
of  the  original  incorporators  were  alive. 


230         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Between  the  granting  of  the  franchise  in  1852  and 
the  construction  of  the  road  in  1885,  the  fight  against 
it  was  so  bitter  and  politics  entered  into  it  so  largely 
that  the  contest  had  its  effect  upon  the  election  of  both 
state  and  city  officials.  In  1863,  Commodore  Vanderbilt 
stole  a  march  on  Jacob  Sharp  by  getting  the  aldermen 
to  grant  him  a  franchise  for  the  extension  of  the  Fourth 
Avenue  surface  road  down  Broadway  from  Fourteenth 
Street  to  the  Battery.  He  was  the  controlling  power 
in  the  Harlem  railroad  which  owned  the  Fourth  Avenue 
line,  the  first  surface  car  line  in  the  city.  In  furtherance 
of  his  plan,  the  block  between  Thirteenth  and  Fourteenth 
streets  on  Broadway  was  torn  up;  but  an  injunction 
stayed  the  work,  and  the  block  remained  in  a  disgraceful 
condition  for  two  years  while  the  matter  was  being 
adjudicated. 

In  1864,  the  Broadway  and  Seventh  Avenue  car  line 
was  established,  and  the  cars  were  run  on  Broadway 
above  Union  Square,  continuing  through  University  Place 
below  Fourteenth  Street.  Sharp  was  one  of  the  di- 
rectors of  this  line  and  it  became  the  backer  of  the 
Broadway  line  and  the  corporation  through  which  the 
financial  manipulations  of  the  Broadway  Surface  Com- 
pany, as  Sharp's  line  was  officially  known,  were  made. 
The  principal  difficulty  experienced  by  the  exploiters 
of  the  road  was  in  getting  the  consent  of  property  owners 
on  Broadway  below  Fourteenth  Street.  At  last,  in  1883, 
Sharp  succeeded  in  having  passed  at  Albany  a  general 
railroad  act  which  permitted  the  aldermen  to  offer  the 
franchise  of  a  street  railway  for  sale  or  not,  "at  their 
option. " 

On  August  6,  1884,  the  aldermen,  with  only  one  dis- 
sentient vote,  gave  permission  to  lay  tracks  on  Broadway ; 
but  the  mayor  promptly  vetoed  the  resolution.    A  tax- 


From  Union  Square  to  Forty-Second  Street  231 

payer  named  Lyddy  then  enjoined  the  board  from 
passing  the  resolution  over  the  veto;  but  Lyddy  was 
bought  off,  and  at  nine  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  August 
thirtieth,  the  eighteen  aldermen  in  favor  of  the  franchise 
were  called  secretly  together  and  repassed  the  resolution 
granting  the  franchise.  No  notice  of  the  meeting  was 
sent  to  those  aldermen  opposed  to  the  grant,  and  the 
city  got  little  for  a  franchise  so  valuable  that  two  millions 
of  dollars  had  been  offered  for  it.  The  feeling  of  the 
public  in  regard  to  this  flagrant  abuse  of  power  is  shown 
in  a  cartoon  of  Harper's  Weekly  at  the  time.  Two 
strangers  inquiring  their  way  are  saying  to  a  New 
Yorker:  "We  want  Broadway  and  Tenth  Street."  The 
reply  was:  "Broadway  has  already  been  given  away;  but 
if  you  make  haste,  you  may  be  able  to  secure  Tenth 
Street  from  the  aldermen. 

The  act  of  the  board  had  hardly  become  public  be- 
fore injunctions  were  at  once  applied  for.  The  Supreme 
Court  appointed  a  commission  to  examine  into  the  matter 
and  to  report  upon  the  case.  It  was  shown  in  the  sen- 
ate investigation  that  some  members  of  the  commission 
were  connected  with  the  interested  parties.  Upon  a 
decision  of  the  Supreme  Court  in  favor  of  the  Broadway 
surface  railway,  Sharp  lost  no  time  in  laying  tracks  and 
securing  equipment,  buying  up  all  the  stages  and  horses 
of  the  omnibus  lines,  many  of  whose  drivers  he  later 
used  on  the  horse  cars.  The  last  bus  ran  on  Broadway 
below  Fourteenth  Street  on  June  20,  1885,  and  the  first 
public  horse-car  ran  over  the  route  from  Fifty-seventh 
Street  to  the  Bowling  Green  the  next  day.  The  cost  of 
building  the  road  was  about  $138,000,  but  the  company 
was  financed  for  over  two  millions. 

The  action  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen  aroused  the  ire 
of  the  public,  and  the  State  Senate  began  an  investigation. 


232  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Their  counsel  was  Roscoe  Conkling,  and  the  leaders  of 
counsel  for  the  railroad  were  James  C.  Carter  and  Elihu 
Root.  One  of  the  striking  features  of  the  investigation 
was  the  inability  of  Sharp  to  remember  anything  about 
transactions  involving  the  drawing  of  checks  amount- 
ing to  over  half  a  million  dollars,  though  his  memory 
was  wonderful  in  regard  to  other  matters.  The  Senate 
committee  found  that  no  legal  authority  had  ever  ex- 
isted for  the  construction  of  the  Broadway  surface  road; 
that  the  Broadway  Surface  Railway  Company  was  a 
sham  and  a  scheme  shaped  in  conjunction  with  the  di- 
rectors of  the  Broadway  and  Seventh  Avenue  Company ; 
that  bribery  had  been  employed  and  the  city  defrauded 
in  the  granting  of  the  franchise,  and  that  the  franchise 
should  be  revoked. 

This  was  followed  by  the  arrest  of  Alderman  Jaehne, 
one  of  the  "solid  eighteen,"  on  March  18,  1885.  Of 
the  twenty-two  members  of  the  Board  of  Aldermen 
that  passed  the  franchise  in  August,  1884,  all  but  two 
were  found  to  be  implicated.  One  of  the  two,  Hugh  J. 
Grant,  later  became  mayor  of  the  city.  Of  the  remaining 
twenty,  two  were  dead  and  three  fled  at  the  time  of 
Jaehne's  arrest.  The  others  were  indicted  and  tried 
for  bribery  and  suffered  various  degrees  of  punishment 
from  fines  to  imprisonment.  The  arch  briber,  Jacob 
Sharp,  suffered  imprisonment.  It  was  shown  that  the 
price  paid  for  votes  was  as  high  as  $20,000. 

In  the  thirty-three  years  during  which  the  conflict 
for  the  surface  road  had  been  carried  on,  the  character 
of  Broadway  had  changed  completely.  It  was  no  longer 
a  select  residential  thoroughfare,  but  it  had  become  the 
main  artery  of  the  city's  trade,  and  the  advent  of  the 
horse-cars  was  hailed  by  the  merchants  with  satisfaction. 
In  a  little  more  than  five  years  the  question  arose  of 


From  Union  Square  to  Forty-Second  Street  233 

changing  the  motive  power  to  cable.  The  public  was 
strongly  opposed  to  it;  but  other  cities  had  already 
introduced  the  cable,  and  New  York  was  obliged  to  get 
rid  of  the  antiquated  horse-car,  and  the  railway  company 
finally  won  out.  For  months,  the  street  was  torn  up 
from  end  to  end  and  business  was  in  a  demoralized  con- 
dition; but  the  work  was  at  last  done  and  the  first  cable 


BUCK'S  HORN  TAVERN,  TWENTY-SECOND  STREET  AND  BROADWAY,  IN  l8l2 

(From  Valentine's  Manual,  1864) 


cars  were  run  in  June,  1893.  The  change  from  the 
small,  bumpy,  and  slow  moving  horse-car  satisfied  the 
public;  and  when,  on  September  5,  1898,  an  accident 
happened  to  the  power  house  at  Houston  Street  and  the 
cars  had  to  be  hauled  by  horses  from  Thirty-fifth  Street 
to  the  Bowling  Green,  their  reappearance  was  greeted 
with  derision.  Then  came  the  final  change  to  electric 
traction.  Overhead  trolley  wires  with  their  potentiality 
of  danger  in  a  great  thoroughfare  like  Broadway  were 


234  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


out  of  the  question,  and  the  underground  trolley  was 
decided  upon.  Other  city  lines  were  changed  first;  and 
as  they  worked  successfully,  even  with  heavy  snow  on 
the  ground,  the  work  of  changing  on  Broadway  was 
begun  in  September,  1898.  It  was  expected  by  the 
railway  people  that  the  change  would  be  effected  by 
December  of  the  same  year;  but  it  was  not  until  May 
26,  1 90 1,  that  the  cars  were  running  by  electric  traction. 

This,  briefly,  is  the  history  of  the  Broadway  Surface 
Railway  Company — a  history  replete  with  bribery, 
corruption,  "Boodle"  aldermen,  iniquitous  legislatures, 
and  complaisant  courts. 

At  Twenty-second  Street  ana  Broadway  was  situated 
the  Buck's  Horn  Tavern,  which  is  spoken  of  in  1 8 16 
as  "an  old  and  well-known  tavern. "  It  was  ornamented 
with  the  head  and  horns  of  a  buck  and  was  set  back  a 
short  distance  from  the  street  about  ten  feet  higher 
than  the  present  grade.  It  was  a  favorite  road-house 
for  those  who  drove  out  upon  the  Bloomingdale  Road 
(Boston  Post-road).  Almost  opposite  the  tavern,  the 
Abingdon  Road  (Love  Lane)  followed  approximately 
the  line  of  the  present  Twenty-first  Street  as  far  west 
as  the  Fitzroy  Road  (Eighth  Avenue).  The  drivers 
of  that  day  used  to  come  as  far  as  the  Buck's  Horn,  then 
turn  through  the  quiet  and  shady  Love  Lane  to  Chelsea, 
and  thence  by  the  river  road  through  Greenwich  village 
back  to  the  city  across  the  Lispenard  meadows.  Three 
hotels  still  stand  in  this  section  between  Union  Square 
and  Twenty-third  Street;  these  are  the  Continental,  at 
the  northeast  corner  of  Twentieth  Street;  the  Bancroft, 
at  the  corner  of  Twenty-first  Street,  and  the  Bartholdi, 
at  the  southeast  corner  of  Twenty-third  Street. 

Nearly  on  the  site  of  the  old  Buck's  Horn  Tavern, 
Abbey's  Park  Theatre  stood  in  the  seventies  and  eighties. 


From  Union  Square  to  Forty-Second  Street  235 


The  stock  company  was  one  of  the  best  in  New  York, 
containing  several  actors  who  later  joined  Daly's  com- 
pany. Between  seasons  many  well-known  actors  ap- 
peared; among  them,  Mrs.  Langtry,  who  made  her 
American  debut  upon  this  stage.  The  house  was  planned 
by  Dion  Boucicault,  but  he  got  into  difficulties  and  was 


THE  SITE  OF  THE  FLATIRON  BUILDING 


not  its  manager  when  it  opened  in  1874.  It  came  under 
the  management  of  Abbey  on  November  27,  1876,  the 
actress  Lotta  being  his  financial  backer.  Among  the 
plays  first  given  here  was  The  Gilded  Age  in  which  John 
T.  Raymond  appeared  as  the  protagonist,  Colonel 
Mulberry  Sellers.  The  play  was  founded  on  Mark 
Twain's  story  of  the  same  name,  and  I  was  present 
on  the  opening  night  and  heard  the  famous  humorist 


236         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


make  one  of  his  characteristic  speeches.  The  house  was 
destroyed  by  fire,  October  30,  1882,  several  hours 
before  the  evening  performance,  and  was  not  rebuilt. 

The  high  building  at  the  junction  of  Broadway  and 
Fifth  Avenue  is  one  of  the  curiosities  of  New  York  archi- 
tecture, and  from  its  resemblance  in  shape  to  the  common 
household  utensil  is  popularly  called  the  "Flat-iron 
Building."  Its  site  was  owned  by  Eno  of  the  Second 
National  Bank,  who  also  owned  the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel 
property.  The  triangular  block  was  occupied  for  many 
years  previous  to  the  construction  of  the  "Flat-iron"  by 
a  row  of  two-story  buildings  used  as  shops  and  offices, 
and  at  the  Twenty-second  Street  boundary  by  a  tall 
building  called  the  Hotel  St.  Germain,  the  whole  pre- 
senting an  anomalous  appearance  upon  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  squares  in  New  York,  with  the  trees  and  lawns 
of  Madison  Square  Park  so  prominent  in  the  view.  At 
the  time  that  the  Fuller  Company  was  constructing  the 
building  to  its  dizzy  height,  the  streets  of  the  city  were 
torn  up  and  gouged  out  by  the  workmen  on  the  subway. 
A  French  visitor  was  moved  to  remark  upon  the  idio- 
syncrasies of  the  American  people.  "I  look  up  zare, " 
he  said,  "and  zay  are  going  up  to  heaven;  I  look  down 
zare,  and  zay  are  digging  down  to — ze  ozzer  place." 

Which  recalls  the  remark  of  another  Frenchman, 
Lafayette,  who,  upon  being  shown  the  improvements  in 
this  vicinity  during  his  visit  in  1824  and  especially  the 
plans  for  the  continuation  of  Broadway  above  Madison 
Square,  asked  facetiously:  "Do  you  expect  that  Broadway 
will  reach  to  Albany?" 

At  Twenty-third  Street,  the  great  Boston  Post -road 
turned  to  the  eastward,  running  diagonally  across  the 
present  park  and  following  its  wandering  course  up  the 
east  side  of  the  city  to  Harlem,  while  the  Bloomingdale 


From  Union  Square  to  Forty-Second  Street  237 


Road  continued  in  a  comparatively  straight  course 
toward  the  upper  part  of  the  west  side  of  the  island. 
The  Boston  Road  was  closed  in  1839.  Where  its  road-bed 
used  to  be  is  the  statue  of  William  H.  Seward,  who  was 
Governor  of  the  State  and  United  States  Senator  from 
New  York.    He  was  the  favorite  of  many  of  the  dele- 


MADISON  SQUARE  PARK  AND  GARDEN 


gates  to  the  Republican  Convention  at  Chicago  in  1 860, 
but  Abraham  Lincoln  beat  him  for  the  nomination. 
Lincoln  made  him  his  Secretary  of  State,  and  he  held 
that  position  during  the  Civil  War.  The  wedge-shaped 
plot  of  land  between  the  two  roads  was  a  pasture  in 
1 8 1 5,  through  which  a  small  stream  found  its  lazy  way 
to  the  East  River,  opening  out  here  in  the  park  into 
the  Gramercy  pond.    Another  portion  of  the  land  was 


238         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


used  as  a  potter's  field  from  1794  to  1797,  when  the 
burial  ground  was  removed  to  Washington  Square.  In 
1806,  a  United  States  arsenal  was  erected  on  a  plot 
of  ground  extending  over  the  site  of  the  Worth  monu- 
ment; it  was  turned  into  a  House  of  Refuge  for  juvenile 
delinquents  in  1824  and  was  burned  in  1838,  when 
another  building  for  the  delinquents  was  erected  in 
Twenty-third  Street  near  the  East  River. 

The  commission  of  1807  believed  that  a  place  for 
the  drilling  and  manoeuvres  of  the  military  organizations 
was  necessary  and  so  laid  out  here  a  parade  ground, 
which  was  to  extend  from  Twenty-third  Street  to  Thirty- 
fourth  and  from  Third  Avenue  to  Seventh.  In  1814, 
the  limits  of  the  parade  were  curtailed  to  Thirty-first 
Street  and  between  Fourth  and  Sixth  avenues;  at  the 
same  time  it  was  called  Madison  Square.  Like  Union 
Square,  the  plot  was  occupied  for  many  years  by  squatters ; 
but  in  1845  Mayor  Harper  devoted  his  attention  to 
public  improvements  and  the  park  was  reduced  to  its 
present  size  and  cleared  up. 

On  the  west  side  of  Madison  Square,  between  Twenty- 
third  and  Twenty-fourth  streets,  there  stood  for  about 
thirty  years  the  "Madison  Cottage,"  kept  by  Corporal 
Thompson.  This  house  had  formerly  been  the  homestead 
of  John  Horn,  who  owned  the  land  where  Madison  Square 
is  now  located.  When  the  improvements  were  made  in 
this  vicinity,  the  old  homestead  was  moved  from  the  bed 
of  Fifth  Avenue  to  the  site  described  above.  It  was  a 
favorite  road-house  on  the  Bloomingdale  Road,  and  at 
certain  times  of  the  year  a  cattle  fair  was  held  in  the  ad- 
joining lot.  In  1853,  the  Cottage  gave  way  to  Franconi's 
Hippodrome,  a  two  story,  brick  building,  where  per- 
formances of  a  superior  quality  were  given.  In  1858, 
the  Hippodrome  in  turn  gave  way  to  a  magnificent 


240  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


marble  hotel,  which  was  for  many  years  the  most  notable 
in  New  York.  This  was  the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel,  which 
was  the  usual  stopping  place  of  most  of  the  presidents 
after  i860  when  they  visited  the  city. 

When  Arthur  was  President,  he  received  here  the 
first  Corean  embassy  that  visited  the  country.  The 
interpreter  was  a  naval  officer  named  Foulke,  a  classmate 
of  the  author.  It  was  here  that  in  1884,  during  the 
Blaine-Cleveland  campaign,   the  Rev.   Mr.  Burchard 


THE  CORNER  OF  FIFTH  AVENUE  AND  TWENTY-THIRD  STREET,    1 852 

On  this  site  now  stands  the  Fifth  Avenue  Building 

made  use  of  his  famous  saying  in  referring  to  the  Demo- 
cratic party  as  the  party  of  "Rum,  Romanism,  and 
Rebellion."  The  alliterative  remark,  made  in  the  pres- 
ence of  Mr.  Blaine,  went  unrebuked  at  the  time;  and 
as  it  was  repeated  in  the  public  press  throughout  the 
country,  it  gained  such  wide  notoriety  as  to  aid  materially 
in  the  defeat  of  Mr.  Blaine  for  the  presidency  The 
hotel  also  sheltered  the  famous  "Amen  Corner,"  where 
the  politicians,  journalists,  and  newspaper  men  used 
to  gather  in  social  intercourse,  resulting  in  an  annual 


242         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


dinner  somewhat  resembling  that  of  the  famous  "Grid- 
iron Club"  of  the  national  capital.  At  these  dinners 
gather  the  jurists,  editors,  journalists,  and  politicians, 
and  current  affairs  are  burlesqued  in  such  a  manner  as 
to  make  lots  of  fun,  at  the  same  time  conveying  a  moral. 
The  hotel  was  demolished  in  1908,  making  way  for  the 
great  office  edifice  now  occupying  the  site. 

The  Bloomingdale  Road  was  in  colonial  times  a 
country  road  leading  to  the  hamlet  of  Bloomingdale  and 
to  the  farms  and  country  residences  of  wealthy  citizens 
on  the  west  side  overlooking  the  Hudson.  In  1760,  this 
road  was  widened  to  four  rods  to  about  the  present 
Fortieth  Street,  and  remained  so  until  the  improvements 
in  this  section  subsequent  to  1845.  It  was  lined  with 
farmlands  belonging,  on  the  west,  to  Matthew  Dyckman, 
Jacob  Horn,  Isaac  Varian,  James  Stewart,  Samuel  Van 
Norden,  extending  on  both  sides  of  the  road,  Mary 
Norton,  and  L.  Norton  as  far  as  Forty-fourth  Street. 
On  the  east  side,  above  the  arsenal,  were  the  Samler, 
William  Ogden,  and  John  Taylor  farms,  some  land  be- 
longing to  the  corporation  and  the  farm  of  Arthur  Kind, 
extending  to  Forty-fifth  Street.  Many  of  these  farms 
both  above  and  below  this  immediate  section,  were  the 
country  places  of  well-to-do  New  York  merchants  who 
had  their  city  homes  and  shops  below  Canal  Street. 
There  was  no  Newport,  Lenox,  or  Bar  Harbor  in  those 
early  days  to  take  the  people  away  from  the  island; 
and  if  there  had  been,  there  were  no  luxurious  boats  or 
Pullmans  to  whisk  them  hundreds  of  miles  in  a  few  hours. 

After  the  development  of  the  steamboat,  Ballston  Spa 
became  the  rendezvous  of  the  best  society  during  the 
summer  time.  It  was  not  until  the  middle  of  the  nine- 
teenth century  that  Saratoga  Springs  usurped  its  place 
to  be  in  its  turn  more  or  less  deserted  for  Long  Branch, 


From  Union  Square  to  Forty-Second  Street  243 

Lenox,  Bar  Harbor,  and  Newport.  Perhaps  the  lives  of 
these  people,  their  home  lives  especially,  were  all  the  more 
contented;  for  they  could  enjoy  the  pleasures  of  a  country 
life  with  their  families,  and  yet  not  be  too  far  away  from 
business  in  case  of  necessity.  They  took  life  more 
quietly,  but  enjoyed  it  thoroughly.  There  were  not 
that  rush,  that  hustle,  that  nervous  strain  and  feverish 
excitement,  which  are,  perhaps,  the  distinguishing  fea- 
tures of  our  own  epoch;  yet  the  citizens  acquired  com- 
petencies, brought  up  and  educated  their  children,  and 
were  not  unacquainted  with  such  comforts  and  luxuries 
as  the  time  afforded. 

The  "unearned  increment"  of  these  farms  and  country 
seats  strung  along  Broadway — Great  George  Street, 
the  Middle  Road,  the  Bloomingdale  and  Kingsbridge 
roads — from  the  Commons  northward  to  Spuyten 
Duyvel  Creek,  has  rendered  the  descendants  of  these 
early  owners  wealthy  beyond  the  dreams  of  Croesus. 
They  still  constitute  the  best  society  of  New  York,  the 
old  Knickerbocker  society,  which  includes  not  only  the 
descendants  of  early  Dutch  and  English  settlers,  but 
also  those  of  the  sturdy  and  energetic  sons  of  New  Eng- 
land who  flocked  to  the  city  after  the  Revolution  until 
about  1840,  and  who  became  our  great  merchants,  bank- 
ers, and  financiers.  It  was  about  this  later  date  that  the 
stream  of  new  life  began  running  from  the  other  side  of 
the  Atlantic  in  successive  and  ever  strengthening  waves — 
Irish,  Teutonic,  Scandinavian,  Hungarian,  Polak,  Semitic, 
Italian — and  New  York  began  to  assume  the  cosmopolitan 
aspect  it  wears  to-day. 

On  the  west  side  of  Broadway,  at  Twenty-fifth  Street, 
the  Hoffman  House  was  located  in  the  eighties  and  soon 
became  one  of  the  sights  of  the  city  on  account  of  the 
paintings  displayed   in  its  barroom — all  of  them  by 


244         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


the  greatest  of  American  and  European  artists — the 
especial  object  of  interest  being  Bouguereau's  Nymphs 
and  Satyr.  The  Albemarle  Hotel  adjoins  the  Hoffman 
House  on  the  Twenty-fourth  Street  corner;  and  at  the 
southeast  corner  of  Twenty-seventh  Street  is  the  Hotel 
Victoria,  at  one  time  the  home  of  the  late  President 
Cleveland  after  his  first  term  of  office. 

At  the  junction  of  Broadway,  Fifth  Avenue,  and 
Twenty-fifth  Street  is  a  small,  triangular  park,  in  which 
is  a  granite  obelisk,  known  as  the  Worth  Monument. 
If  we  read  the  bronze  bands  which  are  around  the  stone, 
we  find  inscribed  Chippewa  and  Lundys  Lane  of  the 
War  of  1812  and  nearly  every  battle  of  the  Mexican 
War  in  which  either  Taylor  or  Scott  fought;  for  Major- 
General  William  J.  Worth  was  the  right  hand  man  of  both 
these  commanders.  Worth  was  a  native  of  Hudson  and 
a  very  distinguished  officer.  He  died  in  Texas  in  1849, 
and  his  body  was  brought  here  later.  After  lying  in 
state  in  the  City  Hall,  it  was  buried  with  imposing  cere- 
monies on  November  25,  1857,  under  this  monument 
erected  by  the  City  of  New  York.  It  has  become  cus- 
tomary in  late  years  to  erect  reviewing  stands  abreast 
of  the  monument  when  parades  and  processions  pass 
down  Fifth  Avenue  to  the  Washington  Arch,  or 
up  the  avenue  to  points  above.  Here  the  reviewing 
officer,  whether  president,  governor,  mayor,  or  other 
distinguished  person,  takes  his  stand. 

Before  leaving  this  section,  we  would  recall  the 
beautiful  arch  and  colonnade  erected  in  1899  when 
Admiral  Dewey  returned  from  Manila.  The  arch  was 
miscalled  the  "Dewey"  arch.  It  was,  in  fact,  a  naval 
memorial  arch;  and  upon  it  and  the  columns  were  the 
names  of  John  Manley  and  John  Paul  Jones,  Decatur, 
Hull,  Perry,  Stockton,  Farragut,  Porter,  and  a  host  of 


245 


246  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


others  who  have  carried  the  flag  upon  the  seas  and 
added  lustre  to  it  in  all  of  the  wars  in  which  the  United 
States  has  been  engaged  from  the  Revolution  to  the 
present.  The  whole  affair  was  made  of  "staff,"  and  in 
the  course  of  several  weeks  became  so  dirty  and  be- 
draggled that  it  had  to  be  removed.    It  was  intended 


THE  NAVAL  MEMORIAL  ARCH  AND  COLONNADE,   1 899,  BROADWAY 
AND  FIFTH  AVENUE 


to  perpetuate  the  arch  and  colonnade  in  marble,  and 
subscriptions  were  started  with  this  end  in  view;  but 
for  some  reason — perhaps  because  the  admiral  became 
too  prosaic  an  individual  by  getting  married— the  scheme 
fell  through.  It  is  a  great  pity;  for  the  Farragut  statue 
opposite  the  Worth  Monument  is  the  only  memorial 
in  New  York  which  tends  to  do  honor  to  that  service 


248  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


that  has  always  distinguished  itself  in  time  of  war,  and 
which  is  immediately  forgotten  in  time  of  peace. 

Twenty  years  ago,  this  section  between  Twenty- 
third  and  Thirty-fourth  streets  was  the  liveliest  in  the 
city.  Here  were  located  many  of  the  popular  hotels; 
and  in  the  adjoining  territory  was  the  police  precinct 
known  as  the  "Tenderloin,"  to  be  the  commander  of 
which  was  the  ambition  of  many  police  captains,  as 
after  one  or  two  years  of  it  they  were  assured  of  being 
able  to  retire  with  at  least  a  competency  for  their  declining 
years. 

Besides  the  hotels  mentioned,  the  Hoffman  and  the 
Albemarle,  there  were  the  Gilsey  at  Twenty-ninth 
Street  on  the  east  side,  the  Grand  at  Thirty-first  Street, 
just  above,  now  called  the  New  Grand,  the  Coleman 
House  on  the  west  side  between  Twenty-seventh  and 
Twenty-eighth  streets,  the  Hotel  Martinique  at  the  north- 
east corner  of  Thirty-second  Street,  and  the  Sturtevant  at 
1 1 86  Broadway,  a  favorite  stopping  place  for  officers  of 
the  army  and  navy.  The  last  two  have  disappeared,  the 
Gilsey  is  termed  the  New  Breslin,  and  the  Imperial  at 
Thirty-first  to  Thirty-second  streets,  the  finest  hotel 
of  all,  has  been  erected  and  enlarged  within  less  than 
fifteen  years.  Where  the  Gilsey  House  now  stands  was 
the  field  of  the  St.  George  Cricket  Club,  which  was  formed 
by  the  Englishmen  who  patronized  Clark  and  Brown's 
English  chop-house  in  Maiden  Lane;  the  grounds  of 
the  club  are  now  on  Staten  Island.  At  the  southeast 
corner  of  Twenty-sixth  Street,  Delmonico's  up-town 
restaurant  was  located  from  1876  to  1888,  when  the 
Cafe  Martin  took  its  place  and  succeeded  to  its  popu- 
larity. There  are  a  number  of  well-known  restaurants 
and  Rathskellers  on  this  part  of  the  thoroughfare.  One 
of  the  last  relics  of  the  olden  time  to  disappear  was  a  tree 


250         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


on  the  west  side  in  front  of  Number  1151,  near  Twenty- 
sixth  Street,  which  had  been  at  the  gateway  of  the  old 
Varian  farm  near  the  homestead;  it  stood  until  about 
1890. 

The  San  Francisco  Minstrels  moved  up-town  between 
Twenty-eighth  and  Twenty-ninth  streets,  on  the  west  side, 
in  1874,  and  with  Birch,  Wambold,  and  Backus  ran  suc- 
cessfully for  several  years.  J.  H.  Haverly  secured  control 
on  December  1,  1883,  and  ran  his  "Mastodon,"  or  "  Mega- 
therian, "  Minstrels  for  some  time.  He  was  obliged  to 
go  back  to  the  paleozoic  age  for  an  animal  big  enough 
to  represent  the  size  of  his  show,  with  eight  end  men  and 
the  company  in  proportion.  The  house  was  the  Comedy 
Theatre  under  Haverly  and  was  run  as  a  combination 
house.  Dockstader  had  the  place  for  a  while  and  gave 
his  amusing  monologue  Misfits.  The  house  belongs  to 
one  of  the  Gilsey  family,  and  it  has  been  through  all 
sorts  of  theatrical  vicissitudes  down  to  1909,  rejoicing 
then  in  the  name  of  the  Princess  Theatre.  "Sam"  T. 
Jack  ran  it  for  some  time  with  a  somewhat  risky  show. 
He  appeared  one  morning  in  the  Gilsey  office,  after  he 
had  signed  the  contract,  with  an  old  valise  and  several 
bundles  tied  up  in  newspapers,  and  notified  the  clerk 
he  had  come  to  pay  his  first  six  months'  rent.  The  clerk 
expected  a  check;  but  instead  of  producing  one,  Jack 
tumbled  his  bundles  onto  the  table  and  said:  "Here  it 
is ;  count  it  and  see  if  it  is  right."  An  examination  showed 
the  bundles  to  contain  a  collection  of  bills  of  all  de- 
nominations, mixed  up  in  apparently  inextricable  con- 
fusion. One  of  the  Gilseys  and  the  clerk  put  the  bundles 
into  a  cab  and  drove  to  the  bank,  where,  after  two  hours' 
work,  assisted  by  several  of  the  bank  clerks,  they  suc- 
ceeded in  sorting  out  the  mixture  and  found  it  correct 
to  the  last  dollar. 


From  Union  Square  to  Forty-Second  Street  251 


Lester  Wallack  moved  into  his  up-town  theatre  at 
the  northeast  corner  of  Thirtieth  Street  in  February, 
1881,  but  the  building  was  not  ready  for  opening  until 
January  4,  1882.  The  exterior  of  the  building  has  never 
been  completely  finished.  Here  Wallack  had  an  excellent 
stock  company  as  before;  but  the  house  never  became 
so  famous  or  so  popular  as  the  old  Thirteenth  Street 
theatre — perhaps,  because  a  new  generation  of  theatre- 
goers had  grown  up  and  the  actor-manager  was  getting 
old.  He  retired  from  active  management,  and  the  house 
opened  as  Palmer's  Theatre  on  October  8,  1888,  to  become 
and  remain  Wallack's  once  more  on  December  7,  1896. 

The  oldest  theatre  in  this  neighborhood  was  originally 
Banvard's  Museum  and  Theatre  at  1221  Broadway,  near 
Thirtieth  Street.  It  was  the  first  building  in  the  city 
erected  expressly  for  museum  purposes,  and  was  opened 
June  17,  1867.  It  became  Wood's  Museum  and  Metropol- 
itan Theatre  in  1868,  and  Wood's  Museum  and  Menagerie 
in  1869.  Very  good  plays  with  first-class  actors  were 
given  under  both  managers,  as  I  can  personally  testify. 
In  1877,  it  became  the  Broadway  Theatre,  and  two 
years  later  it  became  Daly's,  remaining  under  the  man- 
agement of  Augustin  Daly  until  his  death.  It  was  the 
one  theatre  where  the  visitor  could  find  the  perfection 
of  acting,  management,  and  presentation,  whether  the 
play  were  a  French  or  German  farce  or  a  Shakesperian 
revival.  Ada  Rehan,  John  Drew,  Mrs.  Gilbert,  James 
Lewis,  George  Clarke,  and  others  were  known,  admired, 
and  loved  by  a  generation  of  theatre-goers. 

The  Brighton  theatre  at  1239  Broadway  opened  with 
a  variety  show  on  August  26,  1878;  and  after  many 
changes  of  names,  became  the  Bijou  Theatre,  December 
1,  1883. 

The  Manhattan  (or  Eagle)  Theatre  stood  on  the  west 


252  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


side  of  Broadway  between  Thirty-second  and  Thirty- 
third  streets.  It  was  opened  with  a  variety  show, 
October  18,  1875;  later,  it  became  the  Standard  Theatre, 
becoming  the  Manhattan  again  August  30,  1897.  It 
was  the  first  house  in  New  York  to  present  Gilbert  and 
Sullivan's  H.  M.  S.  Pinafore  which  became  so  popular 
that  it  was  played  at  over  half  a  dozen  theatres  at  the 
same  time;  that  was  before  the  days  of  international 
copyright.  Towards  the  end  of  its  career,  it  was  about 
the  only  theatre  of  prominence  in  the  city  outside  of  the 
theatrical  trust.  At  the  last  it  became  a  moving-picture 
house,  and  was  torn  down  in  1909  to  make  way  for  Gimbel 
Brothers'  big  department  store. 

Two  other  theatres  have  entrances  from  Broadway: 
Daly's  old  Twenty-eighth  Street  house,  and  Jo  Weber's. 
The  first  began  as  Apollo  Hall,  and  later  became  Daly's 
Fifth  Avenue  Theatre.  After  Daly's  removal,  it  became 
Harry  Miner's  Theatre  and  was  burned  out  January 
2,  1891 ;  it  is  now  Keith  and  Proctor's.  The  other  theatre 
on  Twenty-ninth  Street  was  originally  Weber  and  Field's, 
where  those  amusing  comedians  gave  very  funny  bur- 
lesques of  the  passing  shows.  After  the  dissolution  of 
their  partnership,  it  became  Jo  Weber's  Theatre. 

The  Union  Dime  Savings  Bank  stood  on  Thirty- 
second  Street,  facing  Greeley  Square,  from  1876  to 
February,  1910.  From  in  front  of  the  bank  the  old 
Bloomingdale  stages  had  their  point  of  departure  before 
going  out  of  existence  altogether.  About  fifty  years  ago, 
the  property  belonged  to  Richard  F.  Carman,  who  asked 
$90,000  for  the  plot,  but  took  $87,500,  remarking  to  his 
agent  with  a  chuckle  of  satisfaction  as  he  closed  the  bar- 
gain :  "  I  guess  that  fellow  's  stuck. "  Such  was  the  opinion 
of  many  who  considered  the  price  beyond  all  reason  for 
property  in  the  neighborhood  of  Thirty-fourth  Street; 


253 


254  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


yet,  in  1874,  when  the  savings  bank  took  title,  it  paid 
$275,000,  or  about  seventy  dollars  a  square  foot  for  ap- 
proximately four  thousand  square  feet.  At  the  sale  in 
October,  1906,  the  bank  received  about  two  hundred  and 
fifty  dollars  a  square  foot;  and  the  purchaser  sold  to  an 
English  syndicate  in  June,  1909,  at  a  price  which  is  stated 
to  have  been  in  the  neighborhood  of  three  hundred  and 
seventy-five  dollars  a  square  foot,  a  value  for  city  property 
only  exceeded  so  far  by  the  plot  at  the  corner  of  Broadway 
and  Wall  Street.  This  will  give  some  idea  of  the  in- 
crement in  land  values  in  this  vicinity  within  half  a 
century. 

Broadway  crosses  Sixth  Avenue  at  Thirty-fourth 
Street;  and  from  Thirty-second  to  Thirty-fifth,  there  is  an 
open  space,  except  for  two  triangular  parks.  The  lower 
one  contains  a  statue  of  Horace  Greeley  and  is  called 
Greeley  Square.  The  upper  space  contains  a  statue 
of  William  E.  Dodge,  one  of  New  York's  famous  mer- 
chants, but  since  it  stands  in  front  of  the  Herald  building, 
it  is  called  Herald  Square.  The  crossing  here  at  Thirty- 
fourth  Street  is  probably  the  most  dangerous  and  the 
most  congested  spot  on  the  whole  line  of  Broadway  at 
present.  Though  the  houses  on  the  west  side  from 
Thirty-second  to  Thirty-fourth  Street,  and  on  the  east 
side  above  the  latter  to  Thirty-fifth  Street  are  actually 
on  the  line  of  Sixth  Avenue,  they  are  numbered  as  being 
on  Broadway. 

There  is  now  in  course  of  construction  on  the  block 
between  Thirty-third  and  Thirty-fourth  streets,  on  the 
east  side,  the  Hotel  McAlpin,  which  is  to  be  a  commercial 
hotel  twenty-five  stories  high,  with  stores  on  the  ground 
floor,  one  of  which  at  the  Thirty-fourth  Street  corner 
has  already  been  rented  at  twenty  dollars  a  square  foot, 
the  highest  rent  paid  in  New  York.    The  hotel  is  to  be 


From  Union  Square  to  Forty-Second  Street  255 

the  largest  in  the  city  and  will  cost  for  building,  furnish- 
ings, lease,  etc.,  over  thirteen  millions  of  dollars. 

When  the  congregation  owning  the  Tabernacle  sold 
out  their  property  in  lower  Broadway,  they  established 
themselves  at  the  northeast  corner  of  Thirty-fourth 
Street  and  remained  until  March,  1902,  when  they  moved 
temporarily  to  Mendelssohn  Hall  in  Fortieth  Street 
near  Broadway  until  such  time  as  their  new  Tabernacle 
was  ready  for  them.  While  at  Thirty-fourth  Street, 
the  Rev.  Dr.  William  Taylor  continued  to  uphold  the  fame 
of  the  church.  The  wedge-shaped  block  between  Thirty- 
fifth  and  Thirty-sixth  streets,  occupied  by  the  New 
York  Herald  and  the  Evening  Telegram  was  previously 
occupied  by  a  building  the  upper  floor  of  which  was  the 
armory  of  the  Seventy-first  Regiment  of  the  National 
Guard.  The  newspapers  introduced  an  innovation  in 
exposing  to  public  view  the  great  presses  upon  which 
the  papers  are  printed  and  folded  when  they  took  pos- 
session, August  20,  1893;  and  the  windows  overlooking 
the  press-room  are  always  occupied  by  curious  and 
interested  spectators. 

For  many  years,  "Parker's,"  one  of  the  most  popular 
restaurants  of  the  city,  was  located  at  1 305  Broadway ; 
but  it  was  a  simple  and  unpretentious  place  by  contrast 
with  the  modern  Broadway  establishments. 

No  section  of  the  city  has  shown  such  remarkable 
advance  as  this  portion  has  in  the  last  decade.  Macy's 
opened  here  on  November  8,  1902 ;  Saks  &  Co.,  a  Washing- 
ton firm,  a  year  or  so  earlier;  and  at  this  writing,  the 
Gimbel  Brothers  from  Philadelphia  have  just  opened 
on  the  block  below  another  mammoth  store.  This  region 
is  becoming  the  greatest  retail  section  of  the  city.  This 
is  due  to  a  great  extent  to  the  fact  that  within  the  past 
five  years  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  has  erected  a  great 


256  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


station  a  few  blocks  west  and  has  connected  this  with 
New  Jersey  and  Long  Island  by  means  of  tunnels  under 
the  city  and  under  the  two  rivers. 

Broadway  from  Thirty -fourth  to  Forty-seventh  Street 
has  been  for  the  last  few  years  the  locality  where 
the  gay  life  of  the  metropolis  has  been  most  readily 
seen.  Here  are  congregated  great  hotels,  famous  restau- 
rants, and  theatres;  and  the  brilliant  illumination  at 
night  by  the  countless  electric  lights  has  caused  this 
section  of  the  avenue  to  be  called  the  "Great  White 
Way";  and  no  stranger  has  seen  New  York  who  has  not 
traversed  it. 

A  quarter  of  a  century  ago,  the  south  side  of  Union 
Square  was  the  lounging  place  of  many  actors  seeking 
employment  at  the  theatrical  offices  in  that  neighbor- 
hood; and  the  section  was  called  the  "Rialto."  With 
the  upward  trend  of  the  theatres  and  theatrical  offices, 
the  "Rialto"  has  moved  to  this  section  of  Broadway; 
and  in  the  "off"  season,  the  sidewalks  are  crowded  with 
actors  and  actresses  seeking  engagements. 

It  is  to  this  part  of  the  town  that  the  heart  of  the 
exiled  New  Yorker  turns,  and  it  is  hither  that  the  foot- 
steps of  visitors  bent  on  gaiety  naturally  and  inevitably 
find  their  way.  The  occupants  of  stores  and  theatres 
as  far  down  as  Twenty-third  Street  claim  to  be  a  part  of 
it  all — and  they  were  ten  years  ago — but  they  cannot 
stop  the  law  of  progress  up  the  famous  thoroughfare. 
From  abreast  of  the  City  Hall  Park,  in  the  first  half 
of  the  nineteenth  century,  gay  fashion  has  gradually 
worked  its  way  northward  to  this  present  section.  Per- 
haps, at  the  end  of  this  century,  the  "Great  White 
Way"  will  be  as  quiet  and  colorless  as  is  now  the  section 
of  Broadway  below  Fourteenth  Street,  while  the  gay 
populace  of  that  future  time  will  find  its  pleasures  in  the 


17 


257 


258  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


neighborhood  of  Kingsbridge.  This  seems  to  be  the  law 
of  the  street.  When  that  day  comes,  Manhattan  Island 
will  have  lost  the  greater  part  of  its  population  and  will 
be  devoted  almost  entirely  to  business;  while  the  enor- 
mous mass  of  the  people  will  live  in  the  suburbs  of  West- 
chester County,  of  New  Jersey,  and  of  Long  Island, 
carried  daily  to  and  from  their  occupations  at  rates  of 
speed  now  undreamed  of,  and  by  means  of  transit  which 
exist  at  present  only  in  the  dreams  of  visionaries. 

Yet,  between  Thirty-fourth  and  Forty-second  streets, 
Broadway  was  sixty  years  ago  little  more  than  a  country 
lane;  and  there  are  still  many  insignificant  buildings 
along  the  thoroughfare.  Beginning  with  the  year  1838, 
various  acts  were  passed  affecting  the  laying  out  and 
widening  of  the  Bloomingdale  Road  and  Broadway 
between  Twenty-first  and  Forty-fifth  streets. 

Among  the  hotels  between  Thirty-fourth  and  Forty- 
second  streets  were,  and  are,  the  Marlborough  on  the 
west  side  between  Thirty-sixth  and  Thirty-seventh 
streets;  the  Normandie  at  the  southeast  corner  of 
Thirty-eighth  Street;  the  Vendome  at  Forty-first  Street; 
the  Albany,  the  most  recent,  between  Fortieth  and 
Forty-first  streets,  both  on  the  east  side,  and  the  Knicker- 
bocker at  the  southeast  corner  of  Forty-second  Street. 
This  last  is  one  of  the  Astor  properties  and  occupies 
the  site  where  stood  for  many  years  the  Saint  Cloud 
Hotel.  On  the  west  side,  below  Forty-second  Street, 
the  Cafe  de  1'  Opera  opened  in  December,  1909.  This 
was  the  most  gorgeous  and  extravagantly  fitted  restau- 
rant the  city  has  ever  seen,  costing,  so  it  is  stated,  over 
a  million  of  dollars.  The  news  spread  of  its  high  prices, 
there  was  poor  service,  and  its  patrons  were  obliged  to 
wear  evening  dress;  as  a  result,  it  closed  its  doors  four 
months  after  opening.    After  various  vicissitudes  with 


From  Union  Square  to  Forty-Second  Street  259 

the  creditors,  lasting  several  months,  the  place  was 
acquired  by  Louis  Martin,  rearranged  and  refurnished, 
and  opened  on  Christmas  Eve,  1910.  Upon  the  same 
site  at  first  stood  the  Rossmore,  later  the  Metropole, 
and  the  Saint  Charles,  upon  land  which  is  among  the 
highest  in  the  lower  part  of  the  island  and  which  has 
been  a  hotel  site  for  over  forty  years.  Upon  the  angle 
formed  by  the  junction  of  Seventh  Avenue  and  Broadway, 
there  was  erected,  in  1910,  the  Heidelberg  building  with 
its  great  tower  designed  for  advertising  purposes.  At 
this  time  (January,  191 1),  it  is  rumored  that  the  famous 
Chicago  house  of  Marshall  Field  &  Co.  has  acquired 
the  Marlborough  Hotel  property  for  a  great  department 
store. 

At  the  northwest  corner  of  Thirty-fifth  Street  a 
building  called  the  Coliseum  was  opened  with  a  panorama 
in  1873  and  was  run  until  the  following  year,  when  it 
was  taken  down  and  removed  to  Philadelphia  during 
the  Centennial  Exposition.  October  1 1,  1876,  the  New 
York  Aquarium  took  its  place  with  a  theatre,  and  later, 
a  circus  attached.  The  place  was  very  popular  until 
1883,  when  it  was  torn  down  and  the  New  Park  Theatre 
was  erected,  opening  on  October  fifteenth.  Harrigan 
took  possession  and  opened  on  August  31,  1885,  after 
the  destruction  of  his  New  Theatre  Comique.  It  was 
called  Harrigan' s  Theatre  and  was  successful,  but  the 
rent  ate  up  the  profits  and  Harrigan  was  obliged  to  give 
it  up.  It  then  became  the  Herald  Square  Theatre 
on  September  17,  1895,  and  has  retained  that  name 
until  the  present. 

After  the  destruction  of  his  Park  Theatre  at  Twenty- 
second  Street,  Henry  E.  Abbey  had  no  house  that  he 
could  call  his  own  until  1893,  when  he  opened  the  theatre 
at  the  northeast  corner  of  Thirty-eighth  Street,  where 


260         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


he  introduced  Irving,  Bernhardt,  and  other  foreign 
actors  of  high  rank,  opening  with  the  first  named  on 
November  8,  1893.  On  September  14,  1897,  the  house 
was  opened  as  the  Knickerbocker,  a  name  that  it  still 
retains. 

The  Casino,  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Thirty-ninth 
Street,  was  opened  October  21,  1882,  with  The  Queen's 
Lace  Handkerchief .  The  building  is  in  the  Moorish 
style,  and  has  been,  more  than  any  other  theatre  in 
New  York,  the  home  of  comic  opera.  Among  its  greatest 
successes  were  Erminie  and  Florodora,  the  latter  of  which 
seems  to  have  been  unfortunate  for  many  of  its  partici- 
pants, as  several  murders  and  numerous  scandals  in 
which  Florodora  girls  were  concerned  filled  the  columns 
of  the  daily  papers  and  set  the  town  by  the  ears  for  some 
time  during  and  after  the  run  of  the  play. 

Between  Thirty-ninth  and  Fortieth  streets  on  the 
west  side,  taking  up  the  entire  block  to  Seventh  Avenue, 
is  the  Metropolitan  Opera  House,  which  opened  October 
22,  1883,  with  Henry  E.  Abbey  as  manager.  The  house 
has  been  devoted  almost  exclusively  to  grand  opera, 
as  it  is  too  great  in  size  to  be  an  ordinary  theatre.  It 
has  also  been  the  scene  of  many  great  gatherings  on 
patriotic  occasions,  of  many  public  balls,  and  of  concerts, 
as  well  as  of  several  fairs.  The  history  of  the  operas 
produced  and  of  the  great  artists  and  singers  who  have 
appeared  here  would  fill  a  book  larger  than  this.  Its 
interior  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  September,  1892,  but 
was  rebuilt  in  the  following  year. 

Opposite  to  it  on  the  south  side  of  Fortieth  Street 
is  the  Empire  Theatre,  whose  entrance  is  from  Broadway. 
It  was  opened  January  25,  1893,  under  the  management 
of  Charles  Frohman,  and  has  been  famous,  not  only  for 
its  early  stock  company,  but  as  the  New  York  home  of 


From  Union  Square  to  Forty-Second  Street  261 

such  actors  as  John  Drew,  Maude  Adams,  and  similar 
stars. 

The  Metropolitan  Casino,  at  the  southwest  corner 
of  Forty -first  Street,  was  dedicated  on  May  27,  1880,  and 
opened  as  a  concert  hall  by  Rudolph  Aronson  on  October 
10,  1881;  to  be  followed  later  by  Rudolph  Bial  and  his 
orchestra  with  concerts  and  comic  operas.  On  October 
20,  1884,  owing  to  bad  business,  the  house  became  the 
Cosmopolitan  Skating  Rink.  As  early  as  1887,  a  firm 
of  which  Bailey  the  circus  man  was  an  original  member 
was  started  for  the  purpose  of  securing  the  property 
and  opening  it  as  a  regular  theatre.  The  house  was 
rebuilt  and  opened  March  3,  1888,  as  the  Broadway 
Theatre.  One  of  its  greatest  successes  was  the  spectacular 
play  of  Ben  Hur,  founded  on  General  Lew  Wallace's 
famous  story  of  the  same  name. 


CHAPTER  XI 


FROM  FORTY-SECOND  STREET  TO  NINETY-SIXTH 

HEN  we  cross  Forty-second  Street 
we  are  in  the  very  heart  of  the 
"Great  White  Way."  Hotels, 
theatres,  and  restaurants  abound, 
and  the  owners  and  purchasers  of 
property  seem  to  be  imbued  with 
a  perfect  mania  for  tearing  down 
and  rebuilding.  On  the  triangular 
block  between  Broadway  and  Seventh  Avenue  is  the 
high  building  of  the  New  York  Times,  from  which  the 
open  space  from  Forty-third  to  Forty-seventh  streets 
gets  its  name  of  Times  Square.  The  plot  was  occupied 
from  as  long  back  as  I  can  remember  with  a  block  of 
two-story  buildings,  containing  a  private  school  and 
several  quiet  stores,  which  seemed  to  be  almost  out  of 
the  business  of  the  vicinity.  About  1890,  a  hotel- 
keeper  named  Regan  erected  a  building  on  the  south 
side  of  the  plot  and  ran  it  with  a  bar  and  famous  Raths- 
keller. In  1900,  the  underground  railway  was  com- 
menced, and  about  the  same  time  the  Times  decided  to 
erect  its  great  building  on  the  entire  plot.  The  Regan 
building  was  one  of  the  earliest  of  the  skeleton,  steel 
and  concrete  construction,  and  its  demolition  after  about 

262 


264         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


ten  years  of  existence  was  watched  by  the  architects  and 
civil  engineers  with  a  great  deal  of  interest  in  order  to 
see  the  effect  upon  the  steel  framing.  As  it  was  torn 
to  pieces,  it  was  found  that  everything  was  as  good  as 
the  day  it  was  put  into  the  building.  An  immense,  deep 
hole  in  the  solid  rock  was  necessary  for  the  new  building ; 
for  the  subway  was  to  pass  under  it,  and  its  foundations 
were  to  carry  not  only  the  Times  building  itself,  but  the 
tracks  of  the  subway  also,  and  to  be  able  to  withstand 
the  vibrations  of  the  passing  trains.  In  many  respects, 
therefore,  the  building  is  one  of  the  most  wonderful  in 
New  York;  and  until  the  Singer  building  was  erected, 
it  was  the  highest  structure  in  the  city,  if  we  figure  from 
the  lowest  foundations,  where  the  presses  are  located,  to 
the  top  of  its  high  tower. 

For  many  years  before  this  open  space  became  Times 
Square,  it  was  the  location  of  businesses  connected  with 
the  manufacture  and  repair  of  carriages  and  harness; 
and  in  imitation  of  the  locality  in  London  devoted  to 
similar  activities,  it  was  popularly,  though  not  officially, 
known  as  "Long  Acre  Square."  Then  it  became  de- 
voted to  the  automobile  industry,  but  now  even  that  has 
departed  to  the  section  above. 

One  Revolutionary  event  is  connected  with  Times 
Square.  On  the  fifteenth  of  September,  1776,  the  British 
landed  at  Kip's  Bay  from  Long  Island  with  the  intention 
of  cutting  off  the  American  Army,  then  in  full  retreat. 
The  greater  part  of  the  army  was  well  up  on  the  Blooming- 
dale  Road,  but  Putnam  with  four  thousand  troops  was 
still  in  the  city.  Washington  despairingly  attempted  to 
prevent  the  landing  of  the  British  on  the  shore  of  the 
East  River,  but  his  troops  fled  almost  before  a  shot  was 
fired.  Word  had  been  sent  to  Putnam  to  join  the  chief, 
and  he  hurried  his  troops  out  of  the  city.    Guided  by 


265 


266 


The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Aaron  Burr  over  the  Middle  Road  from  the  fortifications 
above  Canal  Street,  he  managed  to  escape  the  cordon 
of  British  troops  being  thrown  across  the  island  and  joined 
the  chief  on  the  Bloomingdale  Road  at  this  point,  barely 
getting  through  in  the  nick  of  time.  A  tablet  to  com- 
memorate this  joyful  meeting  of  the  two  generals  was 
erected  on  the  west  side  of  the  square  some  years  ago 
by  the  Sons  of  the  Revolution. 

The  section  of  Broadway  from  Forty-fifth  to  Seventy- 
first  Street  was  laid  out  and  widened  under  a  series  of 
acts  beginning  about  1845  and  extending  to  1869.  For 
some  time  after  the  earlier  of  these  dates,  the  Blooming- 
dale  Road  was  a  country  lane,  lined  with  farm  lands  and 
homesteads.  We  have  already  given  those  above  Twenty- 
third  Street  to  this  point.  Continuing  above  on  the  east 
side  as  far  as  Sixty -fifth  Street,  we  find  farms  belonging 
to  Medeef  Eden,  Emmet  (to  about  Forty-ninth  Street), 
Andrew  Hopper,  Cornelius  Harsen,  Deborah  Burton, 
Catherine  Cosine,  Jane  Ackerman,  Rachel  Cosine, 
and  John  H.  Tallman.  On  the  west  side  for  the  same 
distance  were  farms  belonging  to  John  Jacob  Astor,  (a 
portion  of  the  Eden  farm  on  which  the  Hotel  Astor  now 
stands),  Francis  Church,  Philip  Weber,  Andrew  Hopper, 
Striker,  Jacob  Hayes,  John  Cosine,  Hegeman,  Sarah 
Slack,  and  Havemeyer.  Many  of  these  farms  extended 
down  to  the  Hudson  River  even  in  1800,  and  most  of 
them  had  originally  done  so,  but  had  been  divided  up 
among  new  owners ;  and  even  the  names  given  here  might 
not  answer  for  a  different  period.  The  history  of  nearly 
all  of  them  would  be  interesting  had  we  the  space  to 
give  it. 

During  the  spring  of  191  o  real  estate  interests  were 
especially  active  in  connection  with  the  old  Hopper 
farm  which  was  on  both  sides  of  the  road.    The  first 


267 


268  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


of  the  name  was  Andries  Hoppe,  who  came  to  New 
Netherlands  in  1652.  His  son,  Mathjes  Adolphus  Hoppe, 
bought  a  farm  extending  diagonally  across  the  road 
between  Forty-eighth  and  Fifty-fifth  streets  down  to 
the  shore  of  the  Hudson  River.  His  heirs  inherited  the 
property,  which  in  time  became  divided  up  among  them 
and  passed  to  other  owners.  One  of  the  old  Hopper 
homesteads  stood  for  a  century  and  a  half  at  Fiftieth 
Street  and  Broadway  until  1883,  when  William  H. 
Vanderbilt  bought  the  property,  and  the  old  house  was 
razed  to  make  way  for  the  American  Horse  Exchange. 
Andrew  Hopper  (1 736-1 824),  for  whom  this  house  had 
been  built  by  his  father,  John  Hopper,  the  second  owner, 
was  a  merchant  of  New  York,  having  a  place  of  business 
in  Chatham  Street.  His  town  house  was  at  Ann  Street 
and  Broadway,  the  Hampden  Hall  of  the  Liberty  Boys, 
which  later  became  the  site  of  Scudder's  and  Barnum's 
museums. 

The  first  theatrical  enterprise  to  locate  in  this  vicinity 
was  the  large  structure  on  the  east  side  of  Broadway 
between  Forty-fourth  and  Forty-fifth  streets,  erected  by 
Oscar  Hammerstein  upon  the  site  of  a  building  which 
had  been  the  armory  of  the  Seventy-first  Regiment. 
Under  one  roof,  there  were  a  great  music  hall,  a  concert 
hall,  and  a  theatre,  the  intention  being  to  admit  to  all 
for  one  entrance  fee.  It  was  known  as  Hammerstein's 
Olympia,  and  the  first  performance  was  given  in  the 
Lyric  Theatre  on  November  25,  1893.  The  manage- 
ment passed  from  Hammerstein ;  and  the  music  hall  part 
became  the  New  York  Theatre  in  December,  1898, 
while  the  Lyric  became,  on  August  29,  1899,  the  Cri- 
terion, under  the  management  of  Charles  Frohman. 

Within  the  last  few  years,  a  new  course  has  been 
pursued  in  theatrical  management  in  New  York  and 


From  Forty-Second  Street  to  Ninety-Sixth  269 

throughout  the  country.  The  tendency  has  been  for  a 
great  many  theatres  to  come  into  the  control  of  a  few 
managers  or  firms,  constituting  what  has  been  termed 
the  "Theatrical  Trust";  so  that  dramatic  companies 
outside  the  combination  have  sometimes  had  difficulty 
in  getting  into  New  York  houses.  Another  marked 
change  has  been  the  increase  in  the  price  of  seats,  and 
the  elegance  of  the  newer  theatres.  It  is  a  far  cry  from 
the  thirteen,  twenty-five,  and  fifty  cents  of  the  best 
theatres  of  half  a  century  ago  to  the  dollar,  dollar  and  a 
half,  and  two  dollars  of  the  present;  and  these  prices 
are  nearly  always  supplemented  by  an  additional  dollar 
paid  to  the  ticket  speculators  who  manage,  notwith- 
standing the  advertised  efforts  of  the  box-offices,  to  get 
the  best  seats  in  the  house  before  any  one  else  has  a 
chance  at  them. 

Among  the  fashionable  restaurants  and  hotels  located 
here  for  several  years  are  Shanley's,  Rector's,  Churchill's, 
the  Hotel  Cadillac,  and  the  Hotel  Astor.  Several  of  these 
are  putting  up  new  buildings,  so  that  in  another  year 
or  so  there  will  be  a  group  of  some  of  the  finest  hostelries 
in  New  York.  The  side  streets  contiguous  to  Times 
Square  are  also  devoted  to  restaurants  and  theatres. 
The  celebration  of  New  Year's  Eve  in  this  neighborhood 
has  become,  so  it  is  stated  in  the  daily  papers  and  by 
those  who  have  been  present,  a  grand  orgy  after  mid- 
night, putting  to  blush  the  wildest  capers  of  the  Moulin 
Rouge,  Maxim's,  and  other  notorious  places  in  Paris. 
For  this  occasion  it  is  necessary  to  engage  tables  a  long 
time  ahead,  and  in  the  way  of  drink  nothing  but  cham- 
pagne is  served  upon  the  night  of  the  thirty-first  of 
December. 

Rector's  new  hotel  and  restaurant  at  the  southeast 
corner  of  Forty-fifth  Street  was  opened  on  the  twenty- 


270  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


seventh  of  December,  19 10.  It  cost  upwards  of  three 
millions  of  dollars,  but  its  construction  is  remarkable 
for  the  speed  with  which  the  old  buildings  were  torn 
down  and  the  new  one  erected  and  furnished — all  within 
a  period  of  eleven  months. 

The  most  prominent  building  on  the  west  side  of  the 
square  is  the  Hotel  Astor,  situated  on  the  old  Eden 
farm  and  belonging  to  the  Astor  estate.  It  was  opened 
in  September,  1904,  by  William  Muschenheim,  formerly 
steward,  or  commissary,  at  West  Point,  who  had  for 
several  years  previous  run  a  restaurant,  very  popular 
with  college  and  similar  societies,  called  "The  Arena," 
in  West  Thirty-second  Street  near  Broadway.  Mr. 
Muschenheim  has  one  of  the  finest  private  collections 
of  maps,  documents,  papers,  and  prints  relating  to  old 
New  York  to  be  found  in  the  city,  and  many  of  these 
are  exposed  on  the  walls  of  the  hotel.  The  hotel  is  prob- 
ably the  most  popular  and  moderate  priced  of  the 
really  first-class  hotels  in  New  York.  It  has  sheltered 
many  ambassadors,  special  embassies,  and  distinguished 
foreigners,  and  is  the  favorite  banqueting  place  of 
many  societies,  including  some  composed  entirely  of 
women. 

On  the  streets  opening  out  of  Times  Square,  and 
within  a  radius  of  half  a  mile,  are  numerous  theatres 
erected  within  the  past  five  years.  Among  those  on 
Broadway  itself,  are  the  Globe,  above  Forty-sixth 
Street,  the  Astor,  at  the  corner  of  Forty-fifth  Street, 
and  the  Gaiety,  at  the  corner  of  Forty-sixth — all  on 
the  west  side;  Cohan's,  on  the  east  side  between  Forty- 
second  and  Forty-third  streets,  and  still  others  are  pro- 
jected for  the  immediate  future.  To  be  bromidic:  "It 's 
hard  work  to  keep  track  of  them;  they  spring  up  like 
mushrooms,  almost  in  a  single  night." 


From  Forty-Second  Street  to  Ninety-Sixth  271 

With  so  many  theatrical  enterprises  located  on 
Broadway,  it  is  natural  that  plays  should  be  written 
about  the  great  thoroughfare.  Two  of  them — comedies, 
of  course — are   The  Man  Who   Owns  Broadway,  and 


THE  NEW  BROADWAY  TABERNACLE 


Forty-Five  Minutes  from  Broadway.  Numerous  songs 
have  sounded  the  glory  of  the  street  and  have  become 
popular.  When  the  American  fleet  on  its  world  en- 
circling cruise  of  1908-9  left  New  Zealand,  the  farewell 
song  of  our  English  cousins  of  the  Antipodes  was  Give 
my  Regards  to  Broadway,  a  song  that  stirred  the  heart 


272  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


of  every  American  sailor,  as  he  remembered,  or  antici- 
pated, the  joys  of  the  great  highway. 

The  triangular  block  at  Forty-seventh  Street,  Broad- 
way, and  Seventh  Avenue,  now  occupied  by  Floyd  &  Co., 
auctioneers,  was  formerly  the  site  of  St.  Martin's  Hall, 
inaugurated  February  II,  1850,  for  lectures,  assemblies, 
and  other  social  affairs  for  the  up- town  folks.  The  plot 
cannot  long  remain  in  its  present  condition,  and  a  theatre 
or  hotel  will  some  day  soon  occupy  the  site.  Above  Forty- 
seventh  Street,  the  thoroughfare  is  in  a  transition  state; 
there  are  carriage  factories  and  showrooms,  automobile 
ware  rooms,  apartment  houses,  hotels,  vacant  lots,  and 
some  of  the  old  buildings,  including  several  cottages  of 
the  days  when  this  was  a  country  road.  The  site  at 
Numbers  1 634-1 642,  on  the  old  Hopper  farm,  was 
occupied  by  the  American  Horse  Exchange  until  1910, 
when  the  Winter  Garden  Theatre  was  erected  by  the 
Shuberts.  The  Exchange  was  from  1883  the  up-town 
Tattersall's  where  horses  of  the  best  breeds,  carriages, 
and  harness  were  sold,  usually  at  auction.  At  the 
northeast  corner  of  Fifty-sixth  Street  is  the  modern 
Tabernacle,  first  opened  for  service  in  March,  1905,  and 
the  legitimate  successor  of  the  other  two  which  have 
stood  on  Broadway;  it  is  a  very  ornate  building,  the 
corner-stone  of  which  was  laid  in  1903.  At  Number  1684, 
the  Metropolitan  Roller  Skating  Rink  has  been  in  opera- 
tion since  1906.  The  building  which  it  occupies  has  been 
an  armory  of  one  of  the  city  batteries,  a  bicycle  academy, 
and  various  other  things  during  the  past  thirty  years. 

At  the  northwest  corner  of  Forty-ninth  Street,  the  Old 
Guard  had  its  armory  from  1898  to  1908.  This  is  not 
a  part  of  the  regular  military  force  of  the  State,  but  it 
has  peculiar  privileges,  and  is  usually  detailed  as  an 
escort  for  any  distinguished  person  who  reviews  parades 


From  Forty-Second  Street  to  Ninety-Sixth  273 

or  processions.  From  a  social  standpoint,  it  ranks 
higher,  possibly,  than  any  other  military  organization 
in  the  city,  and  it  partakes  more  nearly  of  the  nature 
of  a  social  club  than  do  the  regular  regiments.  The  vast 
majority  of  the  rank  and  file  of  the  national  guard  organ- 
izations are  young  men,  while  those  in  the  Old  Guard 
have  passed  the  meridian  of  life,  having  seen  active  and 


From  Valentine's  Manual,  1864 

THE  OLD  HALFWAY  HOUSE  AT  THE  JUNCTION  OF  BROADWAY,  EIGHTH 
AVENUE,  AND  FIFTY-NINTH  STREET 


strenuous  service  elsewhere.  The  City  Guard  was 
formed  in  1 833,  and  at  the  same  time  a  rival  organiza- 
tion, called  the  Light  Guard,  was  formed  out  of  the  old 
Blues,  dating  from  1762.  After  the  Civil  War,  the  sur- 
vivors of  the  two  organizations  united  to  form  the  Old 
Guard  on  April  22,  1868.  The  distinctive  white  uniform 
and  great  bearskin  hat  always  attract  attention,  and  the 
veterans  are  held  very  high  in  popular  estimation, 
is 


274  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


At  Fifty-ninth  Street  is  the  entrance  to  Central 
Park,  and  where  Broadway,  Eighth  Avenue,  and  Fifty- 
ninth  Street  cross  is  an  open  space  called  "The  Circle." 
Its  centre  is  occupied  by  a  fine  column  and  base  called 
the  Columbus  Statue,  presented  to  the  city  by  the  Italian 
residents  in  1892  in  commemoration  of  the  four  hundredth 
anniversary  of  the  discovery  of  America  by  their  fellow- 
countryman,  whose  statue  surmounts  the  column. 

Just  north  of  the  monument  is  a  triangular  plot, 
which  for  many  years  was  occupied  by  Durland's  Riding 
Academy,  a  very  popular  place  of  its  kind  in  the  nineties. 
The  plot  is  now  vacant  and  is  awaiting  development 
by  William  R.  Hearst.  Here  is  another  theatrical  centre 
within  a  few  blocks,  and  nearly  all  the  buildings  have 
been  erected  within  the  past  five  years.  There  is  the 
Majestic  at  Fifty-eighth  Street,  the  Circle  at  Sixtieth, 
the  Colonial  at  Sixty-second,  and  the  Lincoln  Square  at 
Sixty-sixth.  The  houses  are  generally  devoted  to  vaude- 
ville, light  opera,  moving  pictures,  and  similar  entertain- 
ments that  do  not  call  for  anything  from  their  audiences 
except  laughter. 

With  the  section  of  the  Bloomingdale  Road  above 
Fifty-ninth  Street  I  was  somewhat  familiar  in  my  boy- 
hood before  1870,  as  I  used  to  visit  friends  who  lived 
here,  and  I  have  also  ridden  in  the  old  stages.  Near-by 
was  the  residence  of  Fernando  Wood  at  Seventy-seventh 
Street.  In  recent  years,  the  name  of  Lincoln  Square 
has  been  given  to  this  immediate  locality  where  Broadway 
crosses  Columbus  Avenue  at  Sixty-sixth  Street. 

The  Western  Boulevard,  or  simply  the  Boulevard,  as 
it  was  commonly  called,  was  the  work  of  the  Tweed 
ring;  and  the  highway  was  opened  in  1868.  The  assess- 
ments levied  upon  the  property  owners  contiguous  to 
the  old  Bloomingdale  Road  were  more  than  many  of  them 


From  Forty-Second  Street  to  Ninety-Sixth  275 

could  pay,  and  they  either  lost  their  property  or  it  became 


THE  COLUMBUS  MONUMENT  AT  FIFTY-NINTH  STREET 


heavily  encumbered.  Like  all  the  work  of  the  ring, 
the  construction  was  a  gigantic  steal;  but  Tweed  cer- 


276  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


tainly  showed  great  foresight  in  laying  out  this  fine 
thoroughfare,  lined  with  trees  whose  price  to  the  tax- 
payers was  enormous.  The  new  Boulevard  followed  the 
general  direction  and  bed  of  the  old  road,  though  it  did 
not  follow  all  its  windings.  As  most  of  the  farm  lands 
and  estates  abutted  on  the  Bloomingdale  Road,  we 
find  that  many  of  them  will  be  found  on  both  sides  of  the 
modern  thoroughfare.  The  new  thoroughfare  was  known 
as  the  Boulevard  until  January  first,  1899,  when  the 
board  of  aldermen  changed  its  name  to  Broadway 
throughout  its  length  to  Kingsbridge. 

As  the  downfall  of  the  ring  occurred  shortly  after  the 
opening  of  the  Boulevard,  it  was  left  for  many  years  in 
an  unpaved  state,  and  was,  in  consequence,  a  mudhole  in 
wet  weather  where  vehicles  frequently  became  stalled, 
and  in  dry  weather  the  dust  was  terrific.  I  remember 
seeing  the  Twenty-second  Regiment  march  to  its  new 
armory  in  1891,  and  one  could  hardly  see  the  soldiers 
for  the  clouds  of  dust. 

The  first  paving  of  the  street  was  ordered  from  Fifty- 
ninth  to  Seventy-ninth  streets  in  1890;  and  all  kinds 
of  materials  have  been  used — macadam,  asphalt,  and 
brick.  The  paving  was  done  in  sections  as  the  needs  of 
the  rapidly  building  locality  required,  the  last  being 
completed  in  1907.  When  the  section  as  far  as  One 
Hundred  and  Sixth  Street  was  finished  in  1 896,  the  street 
became  the  favorite  route  of  the  wheelmen,  who  turned 
through  the  last  named  street  to  Riverside  Drive  and 
so  on  to  Grant's  Tomb.  It  is  now  a  finely  paved, 
asphalt  brick  pavement,  and  is  a  much  patronized  route 
for  automobiles. 

The  armory  of  the  Twenty-second  Regiment  of 
Engineers  of  the  National  Guard  is  on  the  east  side  of 
Broadway,  between  Sixty-eighth  and  Sixty-ninth  Streets. 


278         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


The  regiment  was  organized  in  April,  1861,  at  the  out- 
break of  the  Civil  War  and  had  its  quarters  at  Seventh 
Street  and  Hall  Place;  it  occupied  its  armory  in  Four- 
teenth Street  near  Sixth  Avenue  in  1864.  I  remember 
that  we  school  children  went  there  to  see  the  great  fair 
of  the  Sanitary  Commission,  which  did  so  much  to  relieve 
the  sufferings  of  the  sick  and  wounded  soldiers.  The 
present  armory  was  occupied  in  1891.  The  regiment 
was  mustered  into  the  service  of  the  national  government 
during  the  Spanish  War,  and  became  an  engineer  regiment 
on  February  20,  1902.  A  new  armory,  the  corner-stone 
of  which  was  laid  December  19,  1909,  is  now  in  course 
of  construction  on  Fort  Washington  Avenue  at  One 
Hundred  and  Sixty-eighth  Street  at  a  cost  of  about  a 
million  of  dollars;  and  the  members  of  the  regiment 
hope  to  occupy  it  in  the  spring  of  1912. 

The  construction  of  the  elevated  roads  in  1880, 
and  the  running  of  the  surface  cars  made  the  section 
west  of  Central  Park  more  easily  accessible  than  in  the 
days  of  the  stages,  and  building  operations  began.  Pre- 
vious to  1880  and  even  for  some  time  after  that  date 
the  vacant  lots  were  occupied  by  squatters,  whose  ram- 
shackle structures,  goats,  and  multitudinous  children 
added  what  we  may  now  consider  as  a  picturesque  touch 
to  the  scene,  but  which  at  that  time  we  thought  a  blot 
upon  the  landscape.  Some  of  the  children  of  these 
squatters  have  become  rich  through  the  increase  in  value 
of  the  lots  which  their  fathers  had  the  foresight,  or  good 
luck,  to  buy  in  those  early  days.  About  1890,  the 
bicycle  was  in  its  glory ;  and  for  nearly  a  decade  the  smooth 
asphalt  of  the  Boulevard  attracted  the  devotees  of  the 
wheel,  the  favorite  ride  being  as  far  as  Claremont  and 
Grant's  Tomb.  The  annual  parades  of  the  wheelmen 
were  beautiful  sights,  especially  at  night,  when  countless 


From  Forty-Second  Street  to  Ninety-Sixth  279 

lights  flickered  along  the  roadway  as  the  silent  vehicles 
speeded  swiftly  along.  Many  shops  and  buildings  were 
erected  to  accommodate  the  wheelmen  and  their  needs; 
and  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  desirability  of  this  locality 
as  a  residence  section  was  thus  brought  to  the  attention 
of  many  thousands  and  helped  in  its  development.  Now, 
alas!  the  wheel  has  departed;  and  where  once  bicycle 
shops  abounded,  we  find  their  places  taken  by  many  more 
shops  and  garages  for  the  sale  and  repair  of  the  automo- 
bile. Where,  in  the  nineties,  the  bicyclist  had  constant 
views  of  open  spaces  and  truck  gardens,  now  the  autoist, 
as  he  dashes  madly  along,  sees  solid  blocks  of  great 
hotels  and  apartment  houses,  with  private  houses  only 
on  the  side  streets. 

The  subway  railroad  is  directly  responsible  for  this; 
and  as  it  belongs  to  this  period  of  Broadway's  develop- 
ment subsequent  to  1895,  a  brief  account  of  it  may  be 
given  here.  The  idea  of  an  underground  railway  was  of 
old  date;  and  I  remember  when  a  schoolboy  in  1870, 
visiting  the  Beach  Pneumatic  Railway  under  Broadway 
abreast  of  the  City  Hall  Park,  where  its  tunnel  still  exists. 
It  was  in  1890  that  the  first  rapid  transit  commission 
was  appointed  by  Mayor  Hugh  J.  Grant;  it  reported  in 
1 89 1  that  the  tunnel  franchise  should  be  sold  to  the 
highest  bidder,  but  capitalists  were  afraid  to  back  the 
scheme  on  account  of  its  uncertainty  and  the  vast  amount 
of  capital  involved.  In  1894,  the  legislature  created 
the  Rapid  Transit  Board,  which,  fortunately,  was  com- 
posed of  men  of  unimpeachable  integrity  and  enterprise 
with  no  interest  or  concern  in  politics,  and  they  went  at 
the  matter  in  a  business-like  way.  The  plans  for  the 
tunnel,  drawn  by  the  engineer,  William  Barclay  Parsons, 
were  approved  by  Mayor  Strong  in  1897;  and  the  con- 
gested condition  of  the  traffic  lines  due  to  the  influx  of 


28o         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


visitors  on  Grant's  Day,  April  27,  of  that  year,  showed 
the  absolute  necessity  of  immediate  relief.  The  con- 
tracts were  let  to  John  B.  McDonald  on  February  21, 
1900,  and  work  was  begun  shortly  afterwards,  four  and 
one  half  years  being  the  time  allowed  for  the  completion 
of  the  work  and  the  running  of  the  trains.  The  section 
of  the  road  under  Broadway  begins  at  Forty-second 
Street  and  continues  to  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-eighth 
Street,  rejoining  Broadway  again  at  Two  Hundred  and 
Eighteenth  Street  and  continuing  over  it  as  an  elevated 
structure  to  the  terminus  at  Two  Hundred  and  Forty- 
second  Street  abreast  of  Van  Cortlandt  Park.  The  road 
is  four  tracks  as  far  as  One  Hundred  and  Third  Street 
and  two  tracks  beyond. 

During  the  nearly  five  years  that  the  underground 
was  building,  Broadway  was  a  sight  to  be  remembered, 
as  the  work  was  done  from  the  surface  and  the  street 
and  the  car  tracks  had  to  be  supported  by  temporary 
bridges  of  planks;  and  it  was  no  unusual  thing  for  a 
vehicle  to  fall  into  the  excavation.  As  a  result  of  this 
excavation,  the  trees  planted  by  the  Tweed  ring,  which 
had  by  this  time  begun  to  beautify  the  thoroughfare, 
were  badly  injured,  and  in  many  cases  destroyed  com- 
pletely. In  May,  1910,  the  central  plots  of  the  street 
were  fenced  in,  sodded,  and  set  out  with  plants  and 
shrubs.  In  the  Washington  Heights  section  the  cut 
was  so  deep  that  the  work  was  done  entirely  below  the 
surface  by  regular  subterranean  miners  brought  from 
the  mining  places  of  the  world,  and  the  surface  was 
undisturbed. 

The  subway  was  officially  opened  to  the  public  from 
Brooklyn  Bridge  to  Broadway  and  One  Hundred  and 
Forty-fifth  Street  on  October  27,  1904;  to  One  Hundred 
and  Fifty-seventh  Street,  November  12,  1904;  to  Two 


282 


The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Hundred  and  Twenty-first  Street,  March  12,  1906;  to 
Two  Hundred  and  Twenty-fifth  Street,  January  14,  1907; 
to  Two  Hundred  and  Thirtieth  Street,  January  27,  1907; 
and  to  Two  Hundred  and  Forty-second  Street,  its  present 
northern  terminus  at  Van  Cortlandt  Park,  August  1, 
1908.  At  its  lower  end,  it  was  opened  to  Fulton  Street, 
January  16,  1905;  to  Wall  Street,  June  12,  1905;  and  to 
the  Bowling  Green  and  the  South  Ferry,  July  10,  1905. 
In  the  Washington  Heights  section,  some  of  the  stations 
are  so  deep  that  elevators  carry  the  passengers  to  and 
from  the  surface. 

So  immensely  popular  has  the  subway  become  since 
its  opening  that  it  is  greatly  overcrowded,  and  other 
lines  and  extensions  are  projected.  There  are  many 
thousands  of  New  Yorkers  who  see  and  know  nothing 
of  their  city  except  in  the  neighborhood  of  their  homes 
and  places  of  business,  between  which  they  travel  on 
the  underground.  I  saw  a  skit  in  the  newspaper  a  short 
time  ago,  which  told  of  a  business  man  who  took  an 
afternoon  off  from  business  and  rode  home  on  a  surface 
car  for  the  purpose  of  seeing  what  New  York  looked  like 
and  what  changes  had  taken  place  while  he  had  been 
riding  underground  for  five  years  or  more.  He  was 
astonished  at  the  changes,  and  said  he  felt  like  repeating 
the  experiment  occasionally  in  order  to  get  acquainted 
with  his  own  city. 

In  colonial  days,  many  of  the  wealthy  merchants  had 
country-seats  near  the  bank  of  the  Hudson.  Some  of 
these  gentlemen  were  loyalists  during  the  Revolution 
and,  in  consequence,  lost  their  property  by  confisca- 
tion; among  the  owners  we  recognize  many  Dutch  and 
Huguenot  names.  The  principal  owners  as  far  north 
as  Ninety-sixth  Street  were  John  H.  Tallman,  Bogert, 
G.   Kimberly,  John  Gottsberger,  John  Hardenbrook, 


From  Forty-Second  Street  to  Ninety-Sixth  283 

Jacob  Harsen,  Sarah  McGill,  Stephen  Jumel,  Jacob 
Lorillard,  Richard  Somerindyke,  John  C.  Vandenheuvel, 
John  McVickers,  Brockholst  Livingston,  James  Hamilton, 
and  David  M.  Clarkson. 

There  is  one  name  among  the  owners  of  property 
here  that  was  still  more  famous  in  colonial  days,  but 
which  we  do  not  find  after  the  Revolution — that  of 
Oliver  De  Lancey.  He  was  a  loyalist  during  that  struggle 
and  was  made  a  brigadier,  commanding  a  brigade  of 
loyalists  and  refugees,  recruited  principally  from  the 
Tories  of  New  York,  Westchester,  and  Dutchess  Counties, 
and  from  Connecticut,  New  Jersey,  and  Long  Island. 
His  house,  a  fine  colonial  mansion,  faced  the  Blooming- 
dale  Road  near  Seventieth  Street;  and  in  it  De  Lancey 
extended  a  generous  hospitality  to  the  best  society  of 
the  province. 

During  1776  and  1777,  the  British,  and  especially 
the  loyalist  battalions,  overran  the  surrounding  country 
on  all  sides  of  New  York  and  perpetrated  many  outrages. 
In  November  of  the  latter  year  a  party  of  Americans, 
intent  on  retaliation  for  the  outrages  inflicted  on  their 
fellow-countrymen,  rowed  down  the  river  and  surprised 
and  captured  the  guard  stationed  at  the  landing  near 
De  Lancey's.  They  then  pushed  on  to  the  house  which, 
besides  the  servants,  was  occupied  at  the  time  by 
Madam  De  Lancey,  her  daughters,  Mrs.  Cruger  and 
Miss  Charlotte,  and  a  visitor,  Miss  Elizabeth  Floyd  of 
Long  Island.  The  young  ladies  were  about  sixteen  years 
of  age.  According  to  Judge  Jones,  the  Tory  historian  of 
the  Revolution,  the  Americans  treated  the  ladies  with 
insult  and  brutality,  even  attempting  to  abduct  Miss 
Floyd,  who  managed  to  escape  from  their  grasp.  The 
ladies  fled  from  the  house  in  their  night  clothes,  and 
the  mansion  was  looted  and  fired.    Madam  De  Lancey 


284  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


concealed  herself  under  a  porch  until  the  intruders  had 
retired.  Madam  Cruger  fled  through  the  night  and  was 
lost;  at  daylight  she  found  herself  seven  miles  from  the 
house  and  was  obliged  to  seek  shelter  in  a  farmhouse. 
The  two  young  girls,  shoeless  and  stockingless,  fled  across 
the  fields  and  found  refuge  in  a  swamp,  where  they  stood 
in  the  icy  water  up  to  their  knees  until  daylight,  when 
they  sought  the  Apthorpe  house  and  were  taken  in 


From  Valentine's  Manual,  1863 

THE  SOMERINDYKE   ESTATE  OX  BLOOMINGDALE  ROAD,  NEAR 
SEVENTY-FIFTH  STREET 


and  cared  for.  The  fine  mansion  was  completely  de- 
stroyed, but  was  not  rebuilt,  as  the  De  Lancey  property 
was  confiscated  by  the  State  under  the  laws  against  the 
loyalists. 

The  following  advertisement  of  May  8,  1732,  taken 
from  the  city's  oldest  paper,  the  New  York  Gazette,  will 
show  how  different  this  section  was  at  that  time  from 
what  it  is  to-day,  with  its  enormous  apartment  houses 
and  hotels. 


2S5 


286         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


In  the  out  ward  of  the  City  of  New  York  near  to  the  seat 
of  Mr.  De  Lancey  called  Bloomendal,  there  is  to  be  Sold  a 
Plantation  with  a  very  good  Stone  House,  Barn  and  Orchard, 
containing  about  four  or  five  Hundred  Apple  Trees,  and  a 
Pair  Orchard,  with  a  great  many  fine  Grafted  Pairs,  [sic] 
The  Land  is  very  well  Timber'd  and  Watered:  It  has  a  very 
fine  Brook  very  convenient  for  a  Fish  Pond,  containing  about 
Two  Hundred  and  Sixty  Acres  of  Land  and  six  Acres  of 
Meadow,  situate,  lying  and  being  near  Bloomendal  as  afore- 
said. Whoever  incline  to  purchase  the  same  may  apply  to 
Thomas  De  Key,  now  living  on  the  Premises,  and  agree  on 
reasonable  Terms. 

The  Apthorpe  House  stood  until  1892  on  the  block 
between  Ninetieth  and  Ninety-first  Streets  and  Columbus 
and  Amsterdam  Avenues  in  the  centre  of  a  farm  which 
originally  consisted  of  two  hundred  acres.  It  was  built 
about  1765  and  was  a  fine  mansion  with  columns  in 
front.  The  gentleman  who  built  the  house  was  Charles 
Ward  Apthorpe,  a  wealthy  lawyer  of  New  York,  who, 
though  a  personal  friend  of  Washington,  was  a  loyalist 
of  a  mild  type.  In  consequence,  he  lost  his  estates  in 
Massachusetts,  but  his  New  York  property  was  untouched 
as  he  died  in  the  old  mansion  in  1797.  It  came  into  the 
possession  of  Brockholst  Livingston,  and  later  into  that 
of  Colonel  Thorne,  who  had  married  Miss  Jauncey, 
whose  family  were  great  landowners  in  this  vicinity,  and 
it  continued  to  be  the  scene  of  social  events  for  half  a 
century  longer,  when  it  became  a  public  house  and  picnic 
ground  under  the  name  of  Elm,  or  Wendell  Park.  During 
the  Civil  War,  the  extensive  property  was  used  for  en- 
camping and  drilling  recruits  before  sending  them  to 
the  front. 

The  Protestants  from  the  north  of  Ireland,  commonly 
called  Orangemen,  held  a  picnic  in  Elm  Park  on  the 


From  Forty-Second  Street  to  Ninety-Sixth  287 

anniversary  of  the  battle  of  the  Boyne,  July  12,  1870. 
As  they  marched  up  the  Boulevard,  then  in  course  of 
construction,  some  of  the  airs  played  by  their  bands 
aroused  the  ire  of  the  Catholic  Irish  laborers  upon  the 
street,  who  began  to  stone  the  procession.  A  small- 
sized  riot  ensued,  in  which  shots  were  exchanged  and 
three  persons  were  killed  and  several  wounded,  some  of 
whom  died  afterward.  The  Orangemen  announced  their 
intention  of  parading  in  1 87 1,  and  the  Catholic  Irish 
threatened  to  break  up  the  celebration.  The  parade 
was  prohibited  by  the  chief  of  police  the  day  before  which 
it  was  to  occur.  Upon  this  becoming  known,  several 
of  the  public  business  and  commercial  bodies  held  indig- 
nation meetings  and  asked:  "If  the  Irish  Catholics  are 
permitted  to  parade  unmolested  on  St.  Patrick's  Day, 
why  have  not  the  Protestant  Irish  an  equal  right  to  do 
the  same  thing  under  police  protection?"  Governor 
Hoffman  was  telegraphed  for;  and  after  consultation 
with  leading  citizens,  revoked  the  police  order  prohibiting 
the  parade  and  ordered  out  the  militia  to  protect  the 
paraders. 

In  view  of  possible  disorder,  all  of  the  Orange  lodges, 
with  one  exception,  gave  up  the  idea  of  a  parade  and 
sought  various  picnic  grounds  outside  the  city.  Escorted 
by  five  regiments,  Gideon  Lodge,  with  less  than  one  hun- 
dred men,  started  on  the  designated  line  of  march  for 
Elm  Park.  The  streets  were  filled  with  spectators,  and 
there  was  no  disturbance  until  the  procession  reached 
Eighth  Avenue  between  Twenty-fourth  and  Twenty- 
fifth  streets;  then  a  shot  was  fired  and  a  storm  of  stones 
and  missiles  was  hurled  at  the  procession  from  the  neigh- 
boring house  tops.  Two  of  the  regiments  fired  volleys 
without  authorization,  and,  as  a  result,  fifty-four  spec- 
tators were  killed  or  mortally  wounded,  while  many 


288  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


others  received  injuries.  As  is  usual  in  such  cases,  among 
those  hurt  or  killed  were  many  innocent  lookers-on. 
Three  of  the  soldiers  of  the  Ninth  Regiment  were  killed, 
and  many  others  received  injuries  from  stones  and  brick- 
bats. The  marks  of  the  bullets  are  still  discernible  upon 
some  of  the  houses  in  Eighth  Avenue.  These  two  affairs 
of  1870  and  1 87 1  are  known  in  the  history  of  the  city  as 
the  "Orange  Riots." 

The  Apthorpe  house  is  also  connected  with  the 
greatest  name  in  American  history.  After  the  fiasco 
at  Kip's  Bay  and  the  escape  of  Putnam's  division  on 
the  fifteenth  of  September,  1776,  Washington  took  up 
his  quarters  in  the  mansion.  Preparations  were  made 
for  supper,  when  the  approach  of  the  British  was 
announced  and  the  Americans  made  a  precipitate 
retreat,  leaving  their  meal  to  be  eaten  by  Howe  and 
his  staff,  who  made  the  house  their  headquarters  for 
several  days. 

The  Dutch,  with  fervent  patriotism,  having  named 
the  city  at  the  lower  end  of  the  island  New  Amsterdam, 
proceeded  to  name  places  in  the  vicinity  of  New  Amster- 
dam after  home  places  of  which  they  were  reminded  in 
this  new  land.  Thus,  a  beautiful  village  near  old  Harlem 
called  Blocmendaal  and  famous  for  its  horticultural 
nurseries  gave  its  name  to  this  section  not  far  removed 
from  the  New  Harlem  on  the  island  of  Manhattan;  and 
it  is  only  a  step  from  Blocmendaal  to  Bloomingdale. 
Owing  to  the  large  estate  of  Jacob  Harsen  between 
Sixty-sixth  and  Seventy-second  streets,  it  was  also 
called  Harsenville.  Harsen's  Lane  led  from  within 
the  present  Central  Park  from  Sixth  Avenue,  west- 
ward between  Seventieth  and  Seventy-first  streets  to 
Columbus  Avenue,  and  thence  to  the  Bloomingdale 
Road  half  a  block  south  of   Seventy-second  Street. 


290         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Harsen's  House  was  at  Seventieth  Street  and  the 
Bloomingdale  Road.* 

The  Bloomingdale  Reformed  Dutch  Church  at  Sixty- 
eighth  Street  and  Broadway  is  the  successor  of  the 
original  church  established  near  the  same  site  in  1805. 
It  probably  owed  its  birth  to  the  prevalence  of  yellow 
fever  in  the  city  and  the  desire  of  those  who  fled  to  this 
locality  to  have  church  services.  In  18 13,  Andrew 
Hopper,  of  whom  we  have  already  spoken,  was  married 
here  a  second  time.  Some  generous  elder  of  the  church 
society  gave  to  it  a  large  plot  of  ground  for  a  parsonage, 
and  its  increment  in  value  saved  the  church  from  ex- 
tinction. When  the  Boulevard  was  opened,  the  old 
church  edifice  was  in  its  path  and  had  to  be  removed; 
but  the  immense  value  to  which  the  parsonage  lot  attained 
enabled  the  church  society  to  erect  the  present  beautiful 
structure. 

Rutgers  Riverside  Presbyterian  Church  is  at  Seventy- 
third  Street.  It  was  first  organized  in  1796  under  the 
name  of  Rutgers  Presbyterian  Church  and  had  its  origin 
in  the  desire  of  expansion  on  the  part  of  the  New  York 
Presbytery  after  the  recovery  of  the  city  by  the  Americans 
from  the  British.  A  lot  was  donated  by  Henry  Rutgers 
of  the  Reformed,  or  Dutch  Church  upon  his  property 
at  the  corner  of  Rutgers  and  Henry  streets ;  and  a  frame 
edifice  was  built  and  opened  on  May  13,  1798.  By  1841, 
the  congregation  had  so  increased  that  a  stone  church 
was  built  upon  the  same  site;  twenty  years  later,  the 
neighborhood  had  so  changed  and  the  congregation  had 
grown  so  small  that  the  property  passed  to  St.  Teresa's 

*  It  must  be  remembered  that  these  streets'did  not  exist,  even  on  paper, 
until  the  acceptance  of  Randall's  map  of  1821  by  the  commission  of  1807; 
and  that  the  actual  cutting  through  of  streets  above  Fifty-ninth,  except 
in  some  few  cases,  did  not  begin  until  after  i860. 


From  Forty-Second  Street  to  Ninety-Sixth  291 

Roman  Catholic  Church,  which  still  occupies  the  same 
site.  Rutgers  formed  a  union  with  the  Madison  Avenue 
Church  of  that  time  at  the  corner  of  Madison  Avenue 
and  Twenty-ninth  Street,  which  had  been  opened  for 
public  worship  in  1844.  In  1875,  a  new  and  larger 
structure  was  erected;  but  by  1881  the  same  conditions 
of  change  in  population  were  met  as  in  Henry  Street, 
and  the  church  was  closed,  to  reopen  six  months  later 
for  a  period  of  three  years  during  which  the  church  lost 
steadily.  At  the  end  of  1884,  it  was  determined  to  close 
the  historic  church  and  dissolve  the  society,  but  another 
attempt  to  revive  it  was  made  in  1886.  At  the  end  of 
two  years,  it  was  seen  that  this  effort  also  was  fruitless, 
and  it  was  determined  to  build  west  of  Central  Park. 
The  church  on  Madison  Avenue  was  sold  to  the  Masons 
of  the  Ancient  Scottish  Rite;  and  the  new  chapel  at  the 
Boulevard  and  Seventy-third  Street,  under  the  name 
of  Rutgers  Riverside,  was  opened  September  23,  1888, 
to  be  followed  later  by  the  present  fine  edifice,  which  was 
opened  January  19,  1890. 

Christ  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  is  also  an  his- 
toric church.  It  was  organized  in  1793  and  was  first 
placed  on  a  site  on  Ann  Street,  which  it  vacated  in  1823 
to  occupy  a  newly  consecrated  edifice  in  Anthony  Street 
which  had  formerly  been  occupied  by  a  theatre.  The 
building  in  Ann  Street  was  sold  in  1827  to  the  Roman 
Catholics,  then  poor  in  wealth  and  population,  and  was 
long  used  by  them  as  a  church.  The  church  in  Anthony 
Street  was  completely  destroyed  by  fire,  July  30,  1847, 
but  it  was  rebuilt  and  reoccupied  until  1854,  when  the 
society  moved  to  West  Eighteenth  Street,  remaining 
there  until  1859,  when  a  new  church  was  erected  at 
Fifth  Avenue  and  Thirty-fifth  Street.  When  this  last 
edifice  was  burned  in  1891,  the  society  moved  to  its 


292  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


present  location  on  the  Boulevard.  The  original  Ann 
Street  structure  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1834. 

The  other  churches  in  this  vicinity  south  of  Ninety- 
sixth  Street  are  all  of  more  recent  organization.  They 
are:  Manhattan  Congregational  at  Seventy-sixth  Street, 
organized  1896;  Roman  Catholic  Church  of  the  Blessed 
Sacrament  at  the  southeast  corner  of  Seventy-first 
Street,  organized  1887;  the  First  Baptist  Church  at  the 
northwest  corner  of  Seventy-ninth  Street,  organized  in 
1 891 ;  and  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church  at  the  north- 
east corner  of  Ninety -fourth  Street,  organized  1 897. 

Wherever  Broadway  crosses  one  of  the  avenues  of  the 
island,  we  find  at  the  crossing,  or  near  it,  an  open  space 
of  a  block  or  more  to  which  the  name  of  "park,"  or 
"square"  is  given,  and  that  the  cross  street  is  usually 
broader  than  those  above  or  below  it.  This  is  the 
case  at  Fourteenth,  Twenty-third,  Thirty -fourth,  Forty- 
second,  Fifty-ninth,  Sixty-sixth,  and  Seventy-second 
Streets,  where  Broadway  crosses  University  Place, 
Sixth,  Seventh,  Eighth,  Ninth  (or  Columbus),  Tenth  (or 
Amsterdam)  Avenues  respectively.  To  the  space  from 
Seventieth  to  Seventy-third  Street,  at  the  last-named 
crossing,  has  been  given  the  name  of  Sherman  Square 
in  honor  of  the  great  general.  In  the  triangular  plot 
at  the  upper  end  of  Sherman  Square  is  a  marble  statue 
of  Guiseppe  Verdi,  the  great  Italian  composer.  On  the 
base  of  the  pedestal  are  several  marble  figures  representing 
some  of  the  principal  characters  from  his  operas.  The 
monument  was  built  by  subscriptions  obtained  from 
Italian  residents,  principally  through  the  efforts  of  one 
of  the  Italian  papers  of  the  city,  and  was  unveiled  on 
October  2,  1906. 

As  late  as  1893,  there  stood  on  a  height  of  rock  on 
the  south  side  of  Eighty-fourth  Street  east  of  the  Boule- 


294         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


vard,  where  the  cutting  through  of  the  street  had  left 
it,  an  old  colonial  house,  once  the  residence  of  Edgar 
Allan  Poe,  in  which  he  wrote  The  Raven.  Poe's  wife 
Virginia  was  in  poor  health  and  the  couple  came  here  in 
1844  and  boarded  with  Mrs.  Brennan  in  order  that  Mrs. 
Poe  could  get  the  pure,  fresh  air.  In  the  olden  time, 
before  the  surrounding  land  had  been  covered  with 
modern  dwellings,  the  house  commanded  a  magnificent 
view  both  up  and  down  the  Hudson. 

Another  famous  mansion  was  a  stone  house  standing 
at  Seventy-ninth  Street,  between  Broadway  and  West 
End  Avenue.  This  was  built  about  1759  by  John  C. 
Vandenheuvel,  a  Dutch  governor  of  Demerara,  who  came 
to  New  York  to  escape  the  fever  and  liked  it  so  well  here 
that  he  bought  four  hundred  acres  of  land  in  this  vicinity 
and  built  his  country  house  upon  it.  The  Vandenheuvel 
town-house  was  opposite  the  City  Hall  Park,  between 
Barclay  Street  and  Park  Place.  The  property  was 
vacated  during  the  Revolution,  and  was  sold  by  the 
Vandenheuvel  heirs  in  1827  to  Harmon  Hendricks,  who 
leased  it  in  1833  to  Burnham  at  a  yearly  rental  of  six 
hundred  dollars.  Burnham's,  near  Seventy-fourth  Street 
and  the  Bloomingdale  Road,  was  the  most  famous  road- 
house  in  this  section  from  before  1820  until  the  proprietor 
opened  the  still  more  famous  Mansion  House  in  the  old 
Vandenheuvel  dwelling.  After  Burnham's  occupancy, 
the  property  passed  into  the  possession  of  a  Frenchman 
named  Poillon,  who  sold  it  in  1878  to  the  Astor  estate. 
The  old  house  stood  until  the  spring  of  1905,  when  it  was 
demolished  to  make  room  for  the  enormous  apartment 
house  and  hotel  called  the  Apthorpe,  which  occupies  the 
whole  block  in  the  middle  of  which  the  old  house  used 
to  stand. 

The  Somerindyke  house,  at  Seventy -fourth  Street 


From  Forty-Second  Street  to  Ninety-Sixth  295 

and  the  Bloomingdale  Road,  was  an  interesting  place, 
because  here,  so  it  has  been  frequently  stated,  Louis 
Philippe,  afterwards  king  of  the  French,  and  his  brothers 
taught  school  while  in  exile.  Later  authorities  proclaim 
the  story  a  myth,  as  the  three  noblemen  while  in  this 
country  drew  upon  the  purse  of  their  friend,  Gouverneur 
Morris,  for  their  expenses.  When  they  returned  to 
France  and  fortune,  they  forgot  their  generous  American 
friend  until  he  reminded  them  of  the  debt.  Then  they 
repaid,  but  treated  the  loan  as  a  business  transaction 
entirely.  This  aroused  the  ire  of  the  old  aristocrat, 
who  could  be  as  sarcastic  in  his  old  age  as  in  his  earlier 
days;  and  since  they  ignored  the  element  of  friendship 
which  had  entered  into  the  loan,  he  demanded  the  interest 
and  entered  suit  against  them,  and  his  heirs  eventually 
received  the  money. 

In  1 83 1,  a  Mr.  Foley  rented  an  open  space  near  the 
Bloomingdale  Road  and  furnished  pigeons  for  trap 
shooting.  The  sport  was  a  favorite  one,  as  two  other 
similar  places  were  opened  by  Batterson  and  Burnham 
within  a  short  time  later.  All  of  these  road-houses,  as 
well  as  the  Abbey,  Woodlawn,  and  Claremont,  were 
formerly  the  country-seats  of  well-known  families.  Of 
these,  Claremont,  belonging  to  the  Post  family  in  old 
days,  and  situated  above  Grant's  Tomb,  is  the  only  one 
remaining,  though  there  is  a  later  Abbey  on  the  heights 
of  Fort  Tryon,  below  Inwood. 

Occupying  the  entire  block  from  Eighty-sixth  to 
Eighty-seventh  Street,  and  from  Broadway  to  Amster- 
dam Avenue,  is  the  apartment  house  called  the  Belnord. 
It  contains  one  hundred  and  seventy-six  apartments, 
with  from  seven  to  eleven  rooms  each,  and  a  correspond- 
ing number  of  bath-rooms.  It  is  said  to  be  the 
largest  apartment  house  in  the  world,  and  contains 


296  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


a  population  of  upwards  of  a  thousand.  It  was  opened 
in  1909. 

The  names  of  some  of  these  old  places  have  a  meaning ; 
but  the  same  cannot  be  said  of  many  of  the  new.  We 
are  supposed  to  be  a  democratic  people — at  least  we  are 
always  claiming  it — yet  we  have  our  Marlborough, 
Buckingham,  Royal,  Marie  Antoinette,  Imperial,  Em- 


From  Valentine's  Manual,  1864 

THE  OLD  ABBEY  HOTEL  ON  BLOOMINGDALE  ROAD,  1847 


pire,  Princess,  and  similar  named  hotels  and  theatres. 
Why  not  use  some  of  the  old  Dutch,  Knickerbocker, 
or  Indian  names?  They  are  distinctive  and  their  use 
would  show  that  we  have  some  historic  interest  in  our 
own  city.  Just  as  a  century  ago,  an  American  literature 
was  established  by  Irving,  Cooper,  and  others,  so  in  these 
days  we  need  some  builders  to  act  as  pioneers  for  a  new 
hotel  and  theatre  nomenclature — a  nomenclature  that 
would  mean  something. 


CHAPTER  XII 

FROM  NINETY-SIXTH  STREET  TO  ONE  HUNDRED  AND 
SIXTY-EIGHTH  STREET 

T  Eighty-fifth  Street,  the  old  Bloom- 
ingdale  Road  wound  to  the  east- 
ward, returning  to  the  line  of  the 
Boulevard  at  about  Ninety-seventh 
Street.  At  One  Hundred  and 
Eleventh  Street,  it  curved  to  the 
westward  becoming  in  later  days 
Riverside  Avenue  abreast  of  the 
park  of  that  name,  and  did  not  return  to  the  Boule- 
vard again  until  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-sixth  Street 
was  reached.  Here  it  curved  up  the  hill,  finally  turning 
to  the  northward  and  eastward  and  joining  itself  with  the 
Kingsbridge  Road  from  Harlem  (the  Boston  Post-road, 
Harlem  Lane,  or  St.  Nicholas  Avenue)  near  One  Hundred 
and  Forty-seventh  Street.  At  One  Hundred  and  Eleventh 
Street,  Broadway  changes  from  its  diagonal  course  and 
continues  straight  up  Eleventh  Avenue  to  One  Hundred 
and  Sixty-eighth  Street,  where  it  merges  itself  in  the 
Kingsbridge  Road,  which  assumes  the  name  of  Broadway 
to  the  end  of  the  island. 

As  early  as  October  23,  17 13,  there  was  passed:  "An 
Act  for  Mending  and  keeping  in  Repair  the  Post-Road 

297 


298  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


from  New  York  to  Kings-Bridge,"  by  which  act,  on 
account  of  the  bad  condition  of  the  road,  it  was  divided 
into  sections  to  be  kept  in  order  by  the  different  city 
wards  through  which  it  passed.  This  act  also  said  that 
the  roads  were  to  be  cleaned  up  and  maintained  by  the 
''Inhabitants  of  All  Towns,  Mannors  and  Precincts  by 
and  through  whose  lands  any  Common  publick  Roads  or 
highways  have  or  shall  run."  There  were  supplemental 
acts  in  1721,  1723,  1728,  1736,  and  every  few  years  later. 
By  an  act  of  September  30,  1874,  the  Kingsbridge  Road 
was  to  be  opened,  widened,  and  straightened  from  One 
Hundred  and  Fifty-fifth  Street  to  the  Harlem  River;  but 
it  remained  unpaved  and  badly  lighted  for  many  years 
afterward.  From  One  Hundred  and  Eleventh  Street 
northward  we  have,  therefore,  two  roads  to  consider, 
the  old  Bloomingdale  Road  and  the  modern  Broadway. 

We  have  already  carried  the  property  owners  as  far 
north  as  Ninety-sixth  Street.  Above  that  point  to 
Manhattan  Street  the  principal  owners  were  David  M. 
Clarkson,  James  Stryker  (Stryker  Bay  farm),  Ann  Rogers, 
John  Jacob  Astor,  William  Hayward,  Gordon  S.  Mumford, 
James  De  Peyster,  Nicholas  De  Peyster,  New  York 
Hospital  (Bloomingdale  Asylum),  Henriques,  Marx, 
Courtenay,  and  Thomas  Buckley.  In  the  old  Dutch 
days,  the  land  between  Ninetieth  and  One  Hundred  and 
Seventh  Streets,  Eighth  Avenue,  and  the  Hudson,  was 
granted  by  Stuyvesant  to  Teunis  Ide ;  so  that  the  property 
belonging  to  owners  on  the  above  list  as  far  down  as 
William  Hayward  was  originally  on  the  Ide  tract. 

Following  the  old  road  toward  the  river,  we  find  that 
it  is  the  eastern  boundary  of  Riverside  Park  for  some 
distance.  Abreast  of  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-third 
Street  is  the  restaurant  called  Claremont,  which  com- 
mands a  superb  view  of  the  river.    It  was  erected  a  little 


299 


300         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


over  a  century  ago  by  Dr.  Post  and  long  remained  in  his 
family.  Previous  to  1812,  it  was  occupied  by  Lord 
Courtenay,  whose  name  appears  in  the  list  of  owners 
above  as  having  property  below  and  contiguous  to 
One  Hundred  and  Twenty-sixth  Street.  Courtenay,  who 
afterwards  became  Earl  of  Devon,  came  to  this  country, 
so  it  was  supposed,  on  account  of  political  or  social 
troubles  in  England.  One  writer  describes  him  as  living 
as  a  recluse  with  one  man  servant ;  another,  as  being  of  a 
handsome  and  winning  personality  and  dispensing  a 
charming  hospitality.  However  that  may  be,  when  the 
second  war  with  England  occurred,  he  went  back  to 
England  and  did  not  return  to  this  country,  his  plate  and 
furniture  being  sold  at  public  auction.  Another  tenant  of 
the  mansion  for  some  time  was  Joseph  Bonaparte,  ex- 
king  of  Spain,  who  resided  here  after  the  downfall  of  his 
famous  brother.  For  over  fifty  years  the  mansion  has 
been  a  favorite  road-house  and  restaurant. 

A  few  rods  south  of  Claremont  is  the  mausoleum 
erected  by  the  people  of  the  nation  to  contain  the  remains 
of  the  great  commander  of  the  Civil  War,  Ulysses  S.  Grant. 
His  wife  lies  beside  him.  His  funeral  occurred  August 
8,  1885,  and  was  the  most  imposing  one  ever  seen  in  this 
city.  The  body  was  placed  temporarily  in  a  small,  brick 
vault  adjacent  to  the  tomb,  work  upon  which  was  begun 
upon  his  birthday,  April  27,  1891.  It  was  dedicated 
April  27,  1897,  upon  which  occasion  there  was  an  imposing 
military  and  civic  parade  which  attracted  to  the  city 
hundreds  of  thousands  of  strangers.  The  day  was  one 
of  great  discomfort  and  suffering  to  the  spectators  along 
Riverside  Drive,  as  it  was  cold,  and  a  strong  gale  pre- 
vailed which  swept  up  the  river  without  hindrance. 
During  the  celebration  of  the  three  hundredth  anniversary 
of  the  discovery  of  the  Hudson  and  of  the  one  hundredth 


301 


302  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


of  steamboat  navigation  under  Fulton,  in  the  fall  of  1909, 
the  ships  of  the  different  navies  that  participated  were 
strung  along  the  river  for  miles.  The  naval  parade  and 
illumination  were  witnessed  by  half  a  million  people,  who 
blackened  the  slopes  of  the  park  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
tomb  so  that  the  lawns  were  obscured. 

Returning  to  the  present  Broadway,  we  find  to  the 
east  of  the  thoroughfare  at  One  Hundred  and  Tenth 
Street,  also  called  Cathedral  Parkway,  the  Protestant 
Episcopal  Cathedral  of  St.  John  the  Divine,  which  has 
been  in  course  of  construction  for  over  a  quarter  of  a 
century  upon  the  site  of  the  Leake  and  Watts  Orphan 
Asylum,  which  was  established  in  1831.  The  corner- 
stone of  the  cathedral  was  laid  September  27,  1892. 
On  the  blocks  north  of  it  are  St.  Luke's  Hospital  and 
Home  for  the  Aged. 

The  blocks  above  One  Hundred  and  Sixteenth 
Street  on  the  east  side  were  occupied  from  182 1  to 
1894  by  the  Bloomingdale  Insane  Asylum,  which  had 
moved  in  the  former  year  from  the  grounds  of  the 
New  York  Hospital  at  Thomas  Street,  and  which 
moved  in  the  latter  year  to  White  Plains  in  Westchester 
County. 

In  1892,  the  asylum  property  was  secured  by  Columbia 
College,  which  moved  to  this  site  upon  the  vacation  of 
the  property  by  the  asylum.  In  1896  the  college,  the  an- 
cient "King's,"  became  a  university.  Adjoining  Colum- 
bia on  the  west  side  of  Broadway  is  Barnard  College 
for  the  education  of  women;  and  on  the  north  is  Teachers 
College,  the  professional  branch  of  the  university  for  the 
training  of  teachers.  Though  both  are  separate  corpora- 
tions, they  are  closely  affiliated  with  Columbia.  Teachers 
College  located  here  in  the  fall  of  1894,  and  Barnard  in 
the  fall  of  1897.    In  One  Hundred  and  Twentieth  Street, 


3°3 


304         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


adjoining  Teachers  College  is  the  famous  Horace  Mann 
School,  a  private  institution. 


TABLET  IN  WALL  OF  ENGINEERING  BUILDING,  COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY 


The  university  and  college  buildings,  constructed  in 
the  best  styles  of  modern  architecture,  constitute  an  im- 


From  96th  Street  to  168th  Street  305 


posing  group  upon  the  plateau  of  Morningside  Heights. 
The  library  building,  containing  in  the  neighborhood  of 
450,000  volumes,  is  probably  the  most  notable.  It  is  a 
gift  to  the  university  from  its  former  president,  the  Hon. 
Seth  Low,  as  a  memorial  to  his  father,  an  old  New  York 
merchant.  One  of  its  striking  features  is  its  great  dome, 
which  has  been  copied  in  a  smaller  degree  in  the  con- 
struction of  Earl  Hall  on  the  west  of  the  library  building. 
One  of  the  professors  who  was  abroad  during  the  con- 
struction of  the  Hall,  was  asked  on  his  return  how  he  liked 
it.  He  scrutinized  the  new  building  and  then  let  his  gaze 
wander  over  the  dome  of  the  library.  "It  looks  to  me," 
he  said  dryly,  "as  if  the  library  had  laid  an  egg."  Upon 
the  Broadway  side  of  the  west  hall,  is  a  bronze  tablet 
commemorative  of  the  Battle  of  Harlem  Heights  and  the 
death  of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Knowlton. 

As  the  tablet  indicates,  we  are  upon  historic  ground. 
From  One  Hundred  and  Tenth  Street  north  to  Manhattan 
Street,  the  ground  is  quite  elevated  and  was  called,  from 
early  days,  Harlem  Heights,  though  now  known,  from  the 
public  park  contiguous  to  the  plateau,  as  Morningside 
Heights.  In  the  days  of  Stuyvesant,  the  property  from 
One  Hundred  and  Seventh  Street  to  One  Hundred  and 
Twenty-fifth  Street  had  been  granted  to  Jacob  De  Kay, 
though  by  the  time  of  the  Revolution  several  farms 
occupied  the  original  tract.  Manhattan  Street,  called  in 
olden  times  the  "Hollow  Way,"  is  a  natural  valley 
leading  down  to  the  river  between  the  high  lands  lying 
north  and  south  of  it,  and  was  from  the  earliest  times  of 
the  Dutch  a  road  leading  down  to  the  ferry  to  New  Jersey. 

On  the  morning  of  September  sixteenth,  1776,  the 
American  army  was  encamped  north  of  the  valley,  and 
the  British  to  the  south  of  it,  Howe's  headquarters  being 
in  the  Apthorpe  House,  and  Washington's  in  the  Morris 
20 


306  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


House.  The  Chief  was  anxious  to  know  the  disposition 
of  Howe's  troops,  and  it  is  probable  that  it  was  about 
this  date  that  Hale  had  volunteered  to  find  out  and  had 
started  on  his  fatal  journey.  At  daybreak  on  the  morn- 
ing of  the  sixteenth,  two  detachments  of  the  Rangers 
under  Lieutenant-Colonel  Knowlton  and  Major  Leitch,  a 
young  Virginian,  were  started  from  the  Point  of  Rocks 
on  the  north  side  of  the  Hollow  Way  for  the  purpose  of 
getting  in  the  rear  of  the  British  on  Vanderwater's 
Heights  (Columbia  University  grounds).  A  body  of 
Americans  was  also  advanced  in  a  frontal  attack;  but 
through  some  error,  firing  began  too  soon  and  the  flanking 
bodies  were  exposed  to  danger,  but  managed  to  return 
safely  to  the  main  body. 

One  of  the  buglers  with  the  British  troops  at  "Clare- 
mont"  sounded  the  fox  chase,  and  the  Americans  took 
up  the  contemptuous  challenge.  A  body  of  volunteers 
was  sent  into  the  Hollow  Way  to  draw  the  enemy,  while 
Knowlton  and  Leitch  were  sent  again  to  fall  upon  their 
rear.  The  ruse  was  successful,  and  the  British  rushed 
down  the  bank  to  the  attack,  but  were  driven  back. 
The  Rangers  instead  of  falling  upon  the  rear  of  the  enemy 
thus  fell  upon  their  flank.  In  the  hot  fighting  that  en- 
sued Knowlton  was  mortally  wounded,  dying  an  hour 
later.  He  fell,  crying:  "I  do  not  value  my  life,  if  we 
but  get  the  day."  Leitch  was  also  badly  wounded  and 
died  from  his  wounds  two  weeks  later.  Both  officers 
were  buried  in  what  later  became  Trinity  Cemetery. 
Notwithstanding  the  fall  of  their  leaders,  the  patriots 
fought  with  spirit,  forcing  the  British  back  as  far  as  a 
buckwheat  field  at  about  One  Hundred  and  Twentieth 
Street,  and  from  this  position  back  to  the  one  near  One 
Hundred  and  Sixteenth  Street,  where  Knowlton  had 
first  attacked  them  early  in  the  morning.    Things  were 


From  96th  Street  to  168th  Street  307 


going  hard  with  the  British,  and  Howe  ordered  up 
reinforcements  from  McGowan's  Pass;  but  Washington 
did  not  wish  to  bring  on  a  general  engagement,  and, 
having  shown  the  British  his  mettle,  withdrew  his  vic- 
torious troops. 

The  battle  lasted  about  two  hours  and  resulted  in 
the  death  of  sixteen  Americans,  the  attacking  party; 
while  the  enemy  reported  fourteen  killed  and  seventy- 
eight  wounded.  While  the  so-called  battle  was  little 
more  than  a  large  skirmish,  it  put  new  heart  into  the 
Americans.  They  were  unprovided  with  shoes,  clothing, 
blankets,  guns  and  ammunition,  they  were  disheartened 
by  the  defeat  at  Long  Island  and  the  loss  of  New  York, 
they  had  been  on  the  run  for  days,  yet  here  they  had 
taken  the  offensive  against  several  of  the  crack  regi- 
ments of  the  British  army  and  had  routed  them;  the 
British  regular  was  no  longer  invincible. 

At  the  northern  end  of  the  park  on  the  Heights  are 
remains  of  fortifications  which  were  erected  during  the 
War  of  18 12.  These  were  quite  extensive  in  this  region 
and  had  been  constructed  to  command  the  westernmost 
entrance  to  New  York  from  the  north:  other  forts  and 
block-houses  being  erected  in  the  present  Central  Park  to 
command  McGowan's  pass  through  which  the  eastern 
post-road  passed.  While  many  of  our  historic  sites  and 
buildings  have  disappeared  during  the  development  of 
the  city  (and  most  of  them  from  necessity)  it  is  pleas- 
ant to  know  that  the  few  that  remain  are  being  so  care- 
fully guarded  and  marked  by  the  various  associations 
which  have  grown  up  within  the  past  twenty  years. 
May  the  good  work  go  on! 

Abreast  of  the  university  buildings,  the  underground 
railway  emerges  from  the  subway  and  is  carried  across  the 
valley  of  Manhattan  Street  by  means  of  a  viaduct,  enter- 


308  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


ing  the  subway  again  upon  the  north  side  at  One  Hundred 
and  Thirty-fifth  Street.  The  village  of  Manhattanville 
formerly  occupied  this  section  through  the  valley  as  far 
east  as  Seventh  Avenue.  I  remember  when  the  Eighth 
Avenue  horse-car  route  was  extended  as  far  as  One 
Hundred  and  Twenty-fifth  Street,  and  we  considered  we 
were  securing  wonderful  transportation.  At  One  Hundred 
and  Twenty-fifth  Street,  we  cross  into  the  ancient  town 
of  New  Harlem,  whose  southern,  or  western,  boundary 
line  extended  from  the  Hudson,  just  south  of  the  Fort 
Lee  Ferry  at  Manhattan  Street,  in  a  straight  line  diago- 
nally across  the  island  to  Seventy-fourth  Street  and  the 
East  River;  the  other  boundaries  were  the  East,  Harlem, 
and  Hudson  Rivers. 

Midway  between  Broadway  and  Amsterdam  Avenue, 
and  extending  from  Lawrence  Street  to  One  Hundred  and 
Thirty-third  is  a  section  three  blocks  long,  called  "  Old 
Broadway."  It  is  a  relic  of  past  times  and  marks  the 
ancient  bed  of  the  Bloomingdale  Road,  several  fine  trees 
still  lining  its  course.  Hamilton  Place  above  gives  an 
approximate  idea  of  the  continuation  of  the  old  road  to 
its  junction  with  the  Kingsbridge  Road  near  One  Hundred 
and  Forty-eighth  Street.  Upon  Old  Broadway  at  One 
Hundred  and  Thirty-first  Street  is  the  R.  C.  Church  of  the 
Annunciation,  organized  in  1840.  At  the  same  location  is 
Manhattan  College,  founded  by  the  Christian  Brothers 
in  1853,  and  constituting  one  of  the  leading  secular 
educational  institutions  of  the  Catholic  Church  in  the 
city. 

In  1899,  I  moved  into  the  suburbs  and  did  not  revisit 
upper  Broadway  until  the  spring  of  1910.  As  a  cyclist,  I 
was  familiar  with  the  appearance  of  the  street  and  its 
scenes  of  semi-rural  beauty,  with  occasional  mansions 
of  the  olden  time.    It  did  not  seem  possible  that  such 


From  96th  Street  to  168th  Street  309 


changes  could  have  been  made  in  eleven  years  as  those 
I  saw  on  my  later  visit.  Of  all  the  old  country  places 
only  one  remained,  that  at  the  northwest  corner  of  One 
Hundred  and  Fifth  Street ;  and  it  was  crowded  up  against 
the  side  of  a  great  apartment  house  with  a  small  plot  in 
front  of  it,  still  green  with  grass  and  shrubbery.  It  looked 
lost  amid  such  surroundings,  but  still  retained  its  look 
of  quiet  dignity  among  the  bricks  and  mortar  that  had 
usurped  its  former  extensive  grounds.  From  Manhattan 
Street  north  to  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-eighth,  there  was 
an  almost  unbroken  line  of  "flats"  on  both  sides  of  the 
thoroughfare ;  and  the  side  streets,  with  their  heavy  pitch 
to  the  Hudson,  were  almost  equally  built  up. 

On  the  west  side  of  the  island,  and  north  of  the  Harlem 
boundary  line  just  mentioned,  the  lands  belonged  in 
common  to  the  settlers  of  New  Harlem  as  secured  to  them 
by  the  grond  brief  of  Governor  Stuyvesant  under  date  of 
March  4,  1658,  afterwards  confirmed  to  them  by  English 
grants  of  Nicolls  and  other  proprietary  and  royal  govern- 
ors. The  first  grants  below  One  Hundred  and  Seventy- 
fifth  Street  were  made  during  Kieft's  time  to  Jochim 
Pieters  and  were  known  as  Jochim  Pieters's  Hills.  These 
are  the  present  Washington  Heights,  also  called  in  former 
days  Carmansville,  after  David  Carman,  one  of  the  large 
property  owners  upon  the  Heights.  During  the  time  of 
Governor  Andros,  he  granted  to  some  of  his  favorites 
lands  claimed  by  New  Harlem;  and  the  Harlem  settlers, 
fearing  that  other  common  lands  would  be  taken  from 
them,  petitioned  the  governor  and  obtained  his  consent 
in  1676  to  a  division  of  the  common  lands  among  them- 
selves in  severalty.  They  began  with  the  Kieft  grants, 
and  in  1691  and  17 12,  made  further  divisions  under  fear 
that  Dongan  and  Hunter  would  follow  the  example  of 
Andros  and  give  their  lands  to  outsiders.    A  considerable 


3io 


The  World's  Greatest  Street 


farm  just  north  of  the  boundary  and  taking  in  the  ferry- 
site  came  into  possession  of  Pieter  Van  Oblinus ;  but  just 
how  he  secured  possession  is  not  clear,  as  the  tract  had 
been  common  land  of  the  settlers.  Perhaps,  as  he  was  one 
of  the  leading  magistrates  and  officers  of  Harlem,  he  may 
have  managed  to  secure  it  by  means  which  we  moderns 
call  "graft."  There  were  twenty-six  lots  in  this  first 
division  of  the  Harlem  common  lands;  and  among  those 
who  drew  these  we  find  such  names  as  Tourneur,  Vermilye, 
Brevoort,  Bussing,  Delamater,  Waldron,  Dyckman,  Low, 
Delavall,  and  Van  Oblinus  (Pieter  and  Joost).  In  the 
agreement  concerning  the  division,  we  find  there  was  a 
clause  securing  the  maintenance  of  the  Kingsbridge 
Road,  the  old  Indian  trail  leading  to  the  north  end  of  the 
island. 

Coming  down  to  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  we  find  the  owners  of  these  lands  to  be  James 
Byrd,  John  Barrow,  John  Lawrence,  Nicholas  Delongue- 
mare,  Elizabeth  Hamilton  (the  widow  of  Alexander), 
Samuel  Broadhurst,  Beekman,  Trinity  Cemetery,  Audubon 
Park,  Samuel  Watkins,  Ebenezer  Burnall,  Robert 
Dickey,  Hannah  Murray,  Stephen  Jumel,  Arden  Rosannah 
Bowers,  Abraham  K.  Smedes,  and  Moore. 

Attracted  by  the  salubrity  and  healthfulness  of  Wash- 
ington Heights,  several  charitable  societies  located  among 
the  country  estates,  on  or  near  the  old  road  or  upon 
Broadway.  The  Sheltering  Arms,  organized  in  1864  for 
homeless  children  between  five  and  twelve  years  of  age 
for  whom  no  other  institution  provides,  is  at  Amsterdam 
Avenue  and  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-ninth  Street. 
The  Hebrew  Orphan  Society,  founded  in  1822,  is  on  the 
same  avenue  at  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-sixth  Street. 
At  Broadway  and  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-eighth  Street 
is  one  of  the  grandest  charities  in  the  city,  the  Hospital 


312 


The  World's  Greatest  Street 


and  Home  for  Chronic  Invalids,  commonly  called  the 
"Montefiore  Home."  It  was  founded  in  1884  and  is 
supported  almost  entirely  by  the  voluntary  subscriptions 
from  people  of  the  Jewish  faith,  as  a  memorial  to  the 
famous  philanthropist,  Sir  Moses  Montefiore;  it  is  open 
to  both  sexes  without  distinction  of  race  or  creed.  The 
present  quarters  have  been  found  to  be  too  cramped  to 
carry  out  fully  the  desires  of  the  trustees,  and  arrangements 
are  already  completed  to  transfer  the  Home  to  the  Bor- 
ough of  The  Bronx  on  the  Gunhill  Road  near  Jerome 
Avenue.  The  new  buildings  are  to  cost  $1,500,000,  and 
will  be  designed  to  accommodate  six  hundred  invalids, 
with  all  modern  improvements  for  their  comfort  and 
health.  The  Colored  Orphan  Asylum,  organized  in  1837, 
was  for  many  years  at  Amsterdam  Avenue  and  One  Hun- 
dred and  Forty-third  Street  until  its  removal  to  Mount  St. 
Vincent.  At  the  time  of  the  draft  riots  of  July,  1863,  the 
asylum  was  located  at  Fifth  Avenue  between  Forty-third 
and  Forty-fourth  streets.  The  malice  of  the  rioting 
crowds  was  directed  against  every  one  who  showed  color, 
whether  man,  woman,  or  child,  and  many  negroes  were 
hanged  from  near-by  lamp-posts.  Inspired  by  this  hatred, 
the  mob  made  an  attack  upon  the  asylum  and  fired  the 
buildings,  which  were  consumed;  but,  fortunately,  the 
children  were  withdrawn  safely  through  a  rear  entrance. 
With  the  money  obtained  as  damages  from  the  city,  that 
secured  from  the  sale  of  the  Fifth  Avenue  plot,  and  that 
subscribed  by  citizens,  many  of  whom  had  never  heard  of 
the  institution  until  the  burning  of  the  asylum,  the  new 
buildings  were  started  on  Washington  Heights.  The 
Institution  for  the  Deaf  and  Dumb  was  incorporated 
in  1817  with  De  Witt  Clinton  as  first  president  of  the 
society;  it  is  located  at  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-third 
Street  and  Fort  Washington  Avenue.    The  New  York 


313 


314  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Juvenile  Asylum,  founded  in  181 7  at  what  is  now  Madison 
Square,  long  occupied  a  portion  of  the  Smedes  property 
below  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-eighth  Street  until  its 
removal  to  Dobbs  Ferry. 

Trinity  Church  secured  the  plot  of  ground  between 
Amsterdam  Avenue  and  the  river  and  between  One 
Hundred  and  Fifty-third  and  One  Hundred  and  Fifty- 
fifth  streets,  and  opened  it  as  Trinity  Cemetery  in  1843. 
To  it  were  transferred  at  that  time,  and  later,  the  bodies 
from  the  graveyards  attached  to  St.  George's  in  Beek- 
man  Street,  St.  Stephen's  in  Broome  Street,  and  St. 
Thomas's  in  Broadway,  as  those  edifices  gave  way  to 
the  advance  of  business  and  were  sold  by  their  congre- 
gations. Upon  the  stone  fence  at  the  corner  of  One 
Hundred  and  Fifty-third  Street  and  Broadway  is  a 
bronze  tablet  erected  by  the  Sons  of  the  Revolution, 
stating  that  upon  this  height  and  through  the  cemetery 
grounds  was  constructed  one  of  the  southern  outworks 
of  Fort  Washington.  It  was  the  first  portion  of  the  works 
to  fall  in  the  assault  of  November  16,  1776.  When  the 
Boulevard  was  constructed  about  1870,  the  cemetery  was 
cut  into  two  parts  connected  by  a  suspension  bridge.  The 
grounds  are  laid  out  in  terraces,  and  from  the  top  of  the 
hill  the  view  looking  down  through  the  trees  to  the  river 
is  a  beautiful  one.  General  John  A.  Dix  is  buried  here; 
and  upon  several  occasions  I  have  been  the  guest  of  the 
Grand  Army  post  named  after  him,  and  have  attended 
the  ceremonies  at  his  grave  on  Memorial  Day.  To  look 
from  above  while  the  veterans  wind  their  way  up  the  hill 
to  the  strains  of  Chopin's  Funeral  March  presents  an 
affecting  and  beautiful  scene  which  one  long  remembers. 
A  monument  in  the  form  of  an  Irish  cross  at  the  northern 
entrance  bears  the  name  of  the  great  American  naturalist 
and  ornithologist  Audubon. 


From  96th  Street  to  168th  Street  315 


Washington  Heights  have  only  become  accessible  since 
the  building  of  the  subway.  In  my  younger  days  it  was 
a  favorite  walk  for  myself  and  a  few  companions.  We 
took  the  Eighth  Avenue  cars  as  far  as  their  terminus  at 
Manhattanville,  and  then  struck  down  to  the  Hudson 
through  the  Hollow  Way,  turning  north  on  the  railway 
tracks  to  Jeffrey's  Point  upon  which  Fort  Washington 
was  in  part  located ;  then  we  climbed  to  the  top  of  the  hill, 
ending  our  walk  at  Kingsbridge  and  returning  by  the 
railroad.  The  roadway  over  which  we  tramped  led  through 
one  private  estate  after  another,  giving  us  fine  views 
of  comfortable  mansions  and  well-kept  grounds,  with 
glimpses  through  the  trees  of  the  noble  river  below 
and  of  the  Palisades  opposite.  Most  of  these  mansions 
have  disappeared,  though  there  are  several  that  deserve 
mention. 

The  James  Gordon  Bennett  place  occupied  a  part  of 
the  land  upon  which  Fort  Washington  is  situated.  John 
James  Audubon  lived  in  Audubon  Park  above  One 
Hundred  and  Fifty -fifth  Street.  Here  he  was  far  removed 
from  the  noise  and  turmoil  of  the  city — the  "crazy"  city, 
as  he  called  it — which  he  loathed  with  all  the  feeling  of  a 
man  whose  life  had  been  spent  principally  in  the  open  air 
in  communion  with  Nature.  Here  he  died  in  1 85 1  and 
was  buried  in  Trinity  Cemetery. 

Audubon  Park  has  disappeared,  and  in  its  place  are  a 
number  of  city  blocks  already  filling  up  with  great  apart- 
ment houses.  A  few  of  the  old  mansions  are  to  be  found 
below  the  public  driveway  the  city  is  constructing  (Twelfth 
Avenue)  above  the  tracks  of  the  New  York  Central 
railroad.  Some  of  those  in  the  upper  part  of  the  old 
park  have  been  converted  into  road-houses  along  the  line 
of  Fort  Washington  Avenue,  which  begins  at  One  Hundred 
and  Fifty-ninth  Street.    The  block  bounded  by  Broad- 


316  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


way,  Twelfth  Avenue,  and  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-fifth 
and  One  Hundred  and  Fifty-sixth  streets  is  a  notable  one ; 
for  it  contains  a  group  of  beautiful  buildings,  due  prin- 
cipally to  the  generosity  of  Archer  M.  Huntington. 
These  already  completed  are  the  American  Numismatic 
Society's  building,  organized  in  1858,  and  the  build- 
ing of  the  Hispanic  Society  of  America,  which  was 
opened  in  1908.  Two  other  buildings  are  in  course  of 
construction  at  this  writing  (May,  19 10),  that  of  the 
American  Geographical  Society  of  New  York,  organ- 
ized in  1852,  and  a  small  Roman  Catholic  Church  for 
services  in  Spanish.  The  buildings  already  occupied 
contain:  the  one,  a  collection  of  coins,  medals,  etc.; 
the  other,  paintings,  illuminated  and  printed  books, 
pottery,  and  archaeological  specimens  and  relics  from 
Spain,  showing  the  progress  of  civilization  in  that  country 
since  the  days  of  the  Phoenicians. 

Alexander  Hamilton  owned  an  estate  in  this  neigh- 
borhood on  the  Bloomingdale  Road  near  One  Hundred 
and  Fortieth  Street,  and  here  he  erected  a  handsome 
country-house  which  he  named  the  "Grange"  after 
the  home  of  his  grandfather  in  Ayrshire,  Scotland.  The 
house  has  been  removed  a  short  distance  away  to  the 
east  side  of  Convent  Avenue,  where  it  serves  as  the  parish 
house  of  St.  Luke's  P.  E.  Church;  so  that  it  is  assured 
of  preservation  for  some  time,  at  least.  From  the 
Grange,  Hamilton  used  to  drive  to  and  from  his  office 
in  the  city;  after  putting  his  affairs  quietly  in  order,  he 
took  his  last  drive  for  his  fatal  meeting  with  Burr,  without 
letting  his  "dear  Betsy"  have  an  inkling  of  the  prospec- 
tive encounter. 

Of  the  thirteen  trees  planted  by  Hamilton  in  com- 
memoration of  the  thirteen  original  States,  nothing  now 
remains  but  the  stumps  and  a  few  fallen  logs;  these  could 


From  96th  Street  to  168th  Street  317 


a  year  or  two  back  be  easily  procured  by  the  relic  hunter 
in  the  playground  adjoining  the  R.  C.  Church  of  Our 
Lady  of  Lourdes  in  One  Hundred  and  Forty-third  Street. 
When  searching  for  them  in  April,  1910,  I  was  told  by 
a  real  estate  agent  of  the  vicinity  that  the  boys  who  use 
the  playground  had  built  fires  about  the  few  remaining 
trees  and  stumps  with  the  result  of  destroying  them  all. 

South  of  Hamilton  Grange  are  the  extensive  buildings 
of  the  College  of  the  City  of  New  York,  situated  on  the 
summit  of  what  used  to  be  called  Breakneck  Hill,  up 
which  wound  in  olden  times  the  steepest  and  most  dan- 
gerous road  in  the  city,  a  portion  of  the  old  post-road. 
The  site  is  a  commanding  one;  and  its  selection  shows 
good  judgment  upon  the  part  of  those  who  are  responsible 
for  this  group  of  fine  buildings  containing  the  highest 
of  the  city's  free,  educational  institutions. 

Mention  of  Burr  brings  to  mind  a  still  older  and  finer 
house  than  the  Grange,  and  filled  with  associations  even 
more  historic.  This  is  the  Roger  Morris,  or  Jumel,  man- 
sion, which  stands  near  the  Kingsbridge  Road  at  One 
Hundred  and  Sixty-first  Street.  The  property  which 
it  occupies  was  originally  conveyed  by  the  town  of  New 
Harlem  to  one  of  the  settlers  named  Hendrick  Kiersen, 
in  March,  1696.  The  grant  lay  between  the  present  One 
Hundred  and  Fifty-ninth  and  One  Hundred  and  Sixty- 
third  streets,  from  the  Kingsbridge  Road  to  the  edge  of  the 
cliff  overlooking  the  Harlem  River.  The  present  edifice 
was  built  in  1758  by  Colonel  Roger  Morris  as  a  home  for 
his  bride,  Mary  Philipse  of  the  Yonkers.  Morris  and 
Washington  were  aides  on  the  staff  of  General  Braddock 
in  that  ill-starred  officer's  unfortunate  campaign  in  the 
old  French  war.  Military  business  brought  the  young 
Virginian  to  Boston  in  1756,  and  on  his  return  he  stopped 
at  the  house  in  New  York  of  his  friend,  Colonel  Beverley 


3i8 


The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Robinson,  where  he  met  his  host's  sister-in-law,  Mary 
Philipse.  Tradition  says  that  he  fell  in  love  with  her, 
but  there  are  no  facts  in  the  case.  However,  if  he  had 
proposed  to  her,  it  is  not  likely  that  she  would  have  ac- 
cepted an  impecunious  land-surveyor,  as  Washington 
was  at  that  time.  So  he  passed  on,  and  his  former 
companion-in-arms,  Roger  Morris,  won  the  brilliant 
and  witty  Mary.    During  the  War  for  Independence, 


THE  ROGER  MORRIS,  OR  JUMEL,  MANSION 


Colonel  Morris,  though  at  first  inclined  to  take  up  the 
colonial  cause,  was  persuaded  by  his  wife,  so  it  is  said, 
to  remain  loyal  to  the  king.  In  consequence,  he  lost 
all  his  property  in  America  by  confiscation. 

During  the  operations  in  this  vicinity,  Washington 
occupied  the  house  as  his  headquarters  from  September 
16th,  to  October  21,  1776,  when  he  retreated  to  White 
Plains.  During  the  British  occupation  of  the  island, 
it  was  the  headquarters,  off  and  on  for  over  six  years, 


From  96th  Street  to  168th  Street  319 


of  Lieutenant-General  Knyphausen,  the  senior  officer 
of  the  German  mercenaries.  After  the  war  it  passed  into 
the  possession  of  a  farmer;  and  while  Washington  was 
President,  he  and  his  Cabinet  visited  the  house  in  July, 
1790.  It  was  in  this  house  in  the  fearsome  days  of  1776 
that  Washington  first  met  Alexander  Hamilton,  later 
offering  the  young  captain  of  artillery  a  position  on  his 
staff,  which  Hamilton  accepted.  Thus  began  that  close 
intimacy  which  was  to  be  of  such  incalculable  benefit 
to  the  country,  the  calm  steadfastness  of  the  older  man 
supplementing  and  holding  in  check  the  brilliant  genius 
of  the  younger. 

The  property  passed  into  the  possession  of  John 
Jacob  Astor,  who  sold  it,  about  18 10,  to  Stephen  Jumel, 
a  wealthy  French  merchant  of  New  York.  His  wife  was 
a  beautiful  New  England  girl  of  whom  conflicting  ac- 
counts are  given.*  Jumel  and  his  wife  visited  France, 
where  they  moved  in  the  best  society  of  the  First  Empire, 
returning  with  many  beautiful  articles  of  furniture,  the 
loot  of  French  palaces  and  chateaux.  With  these  they 
decked  their  rooms,  extending  a  generous  hospitality, 
and  entertaining  such  distinguished  visitors  as  Talley- 
rand and  Jerome  Bonaparte.  Jumel  died  in  1832;  and 
Aaron  Burr,  then  almost  an  octogenarian,  but  still 
possessing  those  wonderful  powers  of  fascination  for 
women  of  whatever  age  for  which  he  had  been  notorious, 
came  a-courting  the  widow.  She  withstood  his  impor- 
tunities; but  Burr  said  finally  that  he  would  appear  on 
a  certain  day  with  a  clergyman  and  the  wedding  should 
take  place.  He  kept  his  word,  and  Madam  Jumel,  to 
avoid  a  scandal,  consented.  Under  date  of  Wednesday, 
July  3,  1833,  Philip  Hone  says  in  his  diary:  "The  cele- 
brated Col.  Burr  was  married  on  Monday  evening  to  the 
*  Read  The  Conqueror  by  Gertrude  Atherton. 


TREES  AND  STONE  WALL  MARKING  THE  WEST  SIDE   OF  OLD  BLOOMINGDALE 
ROAD,  I9O6.     LOOKING  SOUTHWEST  FROM  BROADWAY  AT  I24TH  STREET. 
GRANT'S  TOMB  IN  DISTANCE 
320 


From  96th  Street  to  168th  Street  321 


equally  celebrated  Mrs.  Jumel,  widow  of  Stephen  Jumel. 
It  is  benevolent  of  her  to  keep  the  old  man  in  his  latter 
days.    One  good  term  deserves  another." 

Madam  Jumel  was  rich  and  Aaron  Burr  was  poor; 
but  old  as  he  was,  his  brilliant,  but  misguided,  genius 
impelled  him  to  attempt  once  more  to  recover  the  ground 
he  had  lost  since  the  duel  with  Hamilton  and  his  trial 
for  treason.  His  wife's  wealth  was  to  furnish  the  means, 
and  this  he  squandered  so  lavishly  that  she  asked  for  an 
accounting.  He  refused.  Then  followed  scenes  between 
the  ill-matched  couple,  and,  after  one  year  of  marriage, 
a  separation.  Burr  died  in  poverty  and  obscurity  on 
Staten  Island  in  September,  1836,  and  his  widow  sur- 
vived him  until  1865.  Her  last  days  were  spent  in  a 
different  fashion  from  those  of  her  youth  and  middle 
age.  She  became  a  greedy  and  avaricious  recluse,  seeing 
few  visitors,  and  hoarding  her  income,  which  grew  to  be 
large  from  the  increment  in  value  of  her  real  estate. 
The  final  sale  of  her  property  was  in  1882,  or  1883;  I 
remember  driving  up  the  Kingsbridge  Road  about  that 
time  and  seeing  the  posters  advertising  the  sale. 

General  Ferdinand  P.  Earle  was  the  last  owner  of  the 
property  in  1900,  and  he  called  the  place  "Earlcliff. " 
In  1 90 1,  the  mansion  and  what  was  left  of  the  once  large 
estate  passed  into  the  ownership  of  the  city  of  New  York 
for  $235,000  for  use  as  a  public  park  and  museum  of 
colonial  and  Revolutionary  relics.  Two  patriotic  or- 
ganizations, the  Colonial  Dames  and  the  Daughters  of 
the  American  Revolution,  sought  the  honor  of  being  its 
custodians;  but  the  legislature  was  not  to  be  overcome 
by  the  blandishments  of  either  party,  and  left  the  decision 
to  the  commissioner  of  parks,  fairly  shirking  the  re- 
sponsibility and  putting  it  upon  his  shoulders.  (Poor 
man!)  The  various  chapters  of  the  Daughters  of  the 
21 


From  96th  Street  to  168th  Street  323 


American  Revolution  located  within  the  city  formed  a 
general  committee  to  take  charge  of  the  historic  mansion, 
later  forming  themselves  into  the  Washington  Head- 
quarters Association  and  incorporating  March  17,  1904; 
whereupon  the  custody  of  the  house  was  awarded  to 
them  by  the  park  commissioner. 

The  house  is  in  an  excellent  state  of  preservation  and 
remains  almost  as  it  was  originally  built.  It  stands  on 
a  bluff;  and  from  its  cupola  a  magnificent  view  can  be 
obtained  of  the  Harlem  Valley  and  its  bridges;  and,  so 
it  is  stated,  seven  counties  in  three  different  States  may 
be  seen  from  the  same  vantage  point.  There  is  a  com- 
memorative tablet  on  the  building,  placed  there  by  the 
Washington  Heights  Chapter,  D.  A.  R.,  and  another 
which  bears  this  inscription :  ' '  This  property  was  acquired 
by  the  city  of  New  York  under  the  administration  of 
Seth  Low,  Mayor,  and  was  formally  opened  as  a  public 
park  December  28,  1903."  There  is  also  a  bronze 
medallion  of  Washington  at  the  side  of  the  doorway. 
The  house  was  opened  as  a  public  museum,  May  28,  1907, 
and  is  free  to  the  public. 

At  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-eighth  Street  Broadway 
merges  itself  in  the  Kingsbridge  Road  which,  during  the 
rest  of  its  course  to  the  bridge  over  Spuyten  Duyvel 
Creek,  assumes  the  name  of  Broadway.  At  the  junction 
of  the  two  roads,  on  the  west  side  from  One  Hundred 
and  Sixty -fifth  to  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-eighth  streets 
is  the  new  resort  of  the  baseball  enthusiasts,  the 
American  League  Park. 

In  colonial  days  a  stone  house  and  tavern,  called  the 
Crossed  Keys  from  its  sign,  stood  on  the  Kingsbridge 
Road  at  about  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-fifth  Street.  A 
notice  of  it  appeared  in  the  Historical  Magazine  for 
October,  1881,  which  describes  it  as  still  in  use. 


CHAPTER  XIII 


FROM  ONE  HUNDRED  AND  SIXTY-EIGHTH  STREET  TO  KINGS- 
BRIDGE 

NE  Hundred  and  Eighty-first  Street 
is  an  important  cross  thorough- 
fare, leading  from  the  Washington 
Bridge,  and  toward  the  west  to  Fort 
Washington.  Holyrood  Chapel  of 
the  P.  E.  Church,  organized  in 
1893,  is  situated  on  it  at  Broadway. 
The  Roman  Catholic  Church  of  St. 
Elizabeth,  organized  1870,  is  at  One  Hundred  and  Eighty- 
seventh  Street,  and  the  Mt.  Washington  Presbyterian 
Church,  organized  in  1846,  is  at  Dyckman  Street,  where 
the  road  leads  down  to  Inwood  Station.  It  is  a  quaint, 
country-like  church  with  a  tall  steeple  painted  yellow. 
The  Holyrood  Chapel  was  built  less  than  fifteen  years 
ago  and  the  property  cost  about  fifteen  thousand  dollars; 
the  land  is  now  worth  two  hundred  thousand  dollars,  and 
the  church  has  already  accepted  an  offer  for  it  and  will 
move  to  Fort  Washington  Avenue.  This  transaction 
gives  an  indication  of  the  increase  in  values  of  land  in 
this  vicinity. 

On  the  river  bank  at  Jeffrey's  Neck,  where  is  now 
located  Fort  Washington  Park,  was  the  Revolutionary 
fortification  of  the  patriots,  erected  under  the  plans 

324 


325 


326  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


of  Major  Rufus  Putnam,  Washington's  engineer.  The 
outworks  of  the  fort  extended  in  all  directions  for  over  a 
mile,  and  on  the  Jersey  shore  of  the  river  was  Fort  Lee. 
It  was  expected  that  these  two  forts,  with  the  obstructions 
placed  in  the  river  for  the  purpose,  would  prevent  the 
passage  up  the  stream  of  the  British  vessels;  but  in  this 
expectation  the  Americans  were  disappointed,  as  the 
war  vessels  sailed  safely  through  the  obstructions.  Much 
against  his  own  judgment,  Washington,  instead  of 
dismantling  the  fort  upon  his  own  evacuation  of  the 
island,  listened  to  the  request  of  Congress  and  left  it 
with  a  garrison  under  Colonel  Magaw.  After  their 
unsuccessful  Westchester  campaign,  the  British  turned 
their  attention  to  the  reduction  of  Fort  Washington. 
After  several  days  of  preparation,  they  carried  it  by 
assault  on  November  16,  1776,  and  Magaw  and  his  three 
thousand  troops  became  prisoners  of  war  to  die  and  rot 
in  the  New  York  prisons.  Thus  the  Americans  lost 
their  last  foothold  on  Manhattan  Island.  The  fort 
was  occupied  by  the  British  and  was  renamed  Fort 
Knyphausen  in  honor  of  the  leader  of  the  Hessians 
who  had  taken  the  principal  part  in  its  capture. 

We  have  a  rather  general  idea  that  the  Hessians 
were  fit  only  for  looting  and  other  outrages.  One  has 
only  to  look  at  the  precipitous  bluff  below  Fort  Tryon, 
the  northernmost  of  the  fortifications  below  In  wood,  to 
realize  that  they  could  also  fight  upon  occasion.  Loaded 
down  with  paraphernalia  weighing  fifty  pounds  or  more 
and  carrying  a  musket  weighing  sixteen  pounds,  they 
stormed  these  bluffs  and  carried  them  in  the  face  of  the 
finest  marksmen  in  the  world.  The  lines  of  the  old  fort 
are  plainly  visible,  and  as  they  are  within  a  public  park, 
they  bid  fair  to  be  preserved  for  all  time.  On  November 
16,  1901,  the  anniversary  of  the  battle,  an  appropriate 


327 


328  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


monument  and  tablet  were  dedicated  on  Fort  Wash- 
ington Avenue,  at  the  base  of  one  of  the  old  ramparts, 
the  land  being  given  for  the  purpose  by  James  Gordon 
Bennett  the  younger,  the  proprietor  of  the  New  York 
Herald.  The  earthworks  of  Fort  Tryon,  just  below  In- 
wood,  are  easily  discernible  near  the  former  residence  of 
Will'am  Muschenheim  of  the  Hotel  Astor. 

Beyond  One  Hundred  and  Seventieth  Street,  the 
Kingsbridge  Road  finds  its  way  down  the  hill  on  to 
the  Dyckman  meadows  between  a  precipitous  bluff  on 
the  east,  the  Laurel  Hill  of  earlier  days  where  Fort 
George,  one  of  the  outer  defences  of  Fort  Washington, 
was  located,  and  an  equally  bold  line  of  bluffs  on  the 
west  continuing  to  the  end  of  the  island.  There  is  a 
passage  through  these  to  the  Hudson  to  which  the 
name  of  Inwood  is  given.  This  is  the  present  terminus 
of  Lafayette  Boulevard  which  is  itself  virtually  an 
extension  of  Riverside  Drive. 

North  of  Inwood,  the  greater  part  of  the  land  may  be 
said  to  have  constituted  the  old  Dyckman  property, 
though  there  were  some  other  owners.  Near  the  extreme 
end  of  the  island,  Governor  Kieft  made  two  grants  to 
Matthys  Jansen  and  Huyck  Aertsen  in  1646  and  1647; 
but  the  town  of  New  Harlem  later  owned  the  tract  at 
the  wading  place,  of  which  more  later,  as  common  land. 
The  Jansen  and  Aertsen  tracts  afterwards  became  the 
home  farm  of  Jan  Dyckman.  The  original  home  of  the 
Dyckmans  stood  on  the  bank  of  the  Harlem  River  near 
Two  Hundred  and  Ninth  Street  but  was  vacated  by  the 
family  during  the  Revolution  when  they  left  with  the 
Americans.  Upon  their  return,  they  found  that  their 
homestead  had  been  burnt,  and  nothing  but  its  ruins 
remained.  A  new  homestead,  still  standing,  was  built 
at  the  corner  of  Broadway  and  Hawthorne  Street;  but 


329 


The  World's  Greatest  Street 


how  much  longer  it  will  stand  unless  measures  are 
taken  to  preserve  it,  is  a  question  easily  answered 
when  we  take  into  account  the  fate  of  other  ancient 
buildings. 

Associated  with  Dyckman  was  Jan  Nagel,  both  of 
whom  were  young,  enterprising,  and  progressive  men, 
who  in  time  secured  by  lot,  purchase,  and  exchange  nearly 
all  of  this  upper  end  of  the  island.    The  Dyckmans, 


STRANG  HOUSE,  OLD  DYCKMAN  HOME,  BROADWAY  AND  TWO  HUNDRED 
AND  NINTH  STREET 

both  of  this  section  and  of  the  adjoining  county  of  West- 
chester, were  patriots  during  the  Revolution,  and  several 
of  them  served  as  guides  and  scouts  for  the  American 
marauding  parties;  one  of  them,  Lieutenant  William 
Dyckman,  was  killed  at  Eastchester  near  the  end  of  the 
war.  A  monument  commemorating  his  death  and  that 
of  Lieutenant-Colonel  Greene  and  Major  Flagg  of  Rhode 
Island  was  erected  some  years  ago  at  Yorktown  Cemetery 
in  the  northern  part  of  Westchester  County.  Greene 
and  Flagg  were  killed  at    Pine's    Bridge    over  the 


From  168th  Street  to  Kingsbridge  331 


Croton  River  during  a  raid  of  De  Lancey's  corps  of 
loyalists.* 

Above  One  Hundred  and  Seventieth  Street,  there 
are  still  several  estates  on  the  west  side  of  the  road, 
and  the  green  lawns  and  fine  trees  make  a  scene  of  great 
beauty.  As  in  the  days  of  old,  a  number  of  the  mansions 
have  been  converted  into  road-houses  where  the  autoist 
may  refresh  himself.  But  the  doom  of  these  places  is 
near  at  hand ;  for  the  street  department  of  the  city  govern- 
ment is  cutting  through  and  filling  in,  and  before  many 
years  have  gone  by  we  shall  see  solid  blocks  of  houses 
occupying  these  still  beautiful  sites.  Luckily,  the  con- 
figuration of  the  ground  is  such  that  the  old  rectangular 
plan  of  blocks  has  had  to  be  modified,  and  we  find  avenues 
and  streets  curving  and  winding  up  the  adjoining  hillsides. 
To  the  east  the  meadows  present  no  such  problems,  and 
it  has  been  simply  a  matter  of  filling  in  the  lines  of  the 
streets.  The  property  has  been  on  the  market  for  a  few 
years  and  is  gradually  being  occupied;  one  thing  in  its 
favor  being  that,  though  it  is  a  longer  ride  on  the  subway 
to  business  the  passenger  is  reasonably  sure  of  obtaining 
a  seat  in  the  cars  instead  of  hanging  by  a  strap.  In- 
corporated in  the  wall  of  the  property  above  Hawthorne 
Street  on  the  west  side  is  one  of  the  old  brownstone 
mile-stones,  reading  "12  miles  from  New  York." 

On  the  west  side  of  the  old  Kingsbridge  Road,  on 
the  lane  leading  to  Fort  Washington  (One  Hundred  and 
Eighty-first  Street)  there  stood  in  colonial  days  a  popular 
tavern  known  as  the  Blue  Bell.  Cadwalader  Colden, 
while  on  a  journey  to  New  York  in  October,  1753,  stopped 
here  and  later  wrote  to  his  wife:  "It  was  very  well  kept 
by  a  Dutchman  named  Vandewater,  and  our  food  and 
lodging  were  very  comfortable."    Tradition  says  it  was 

*  See  the  author's  novel,  A  Princess  and  Another. 


332  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


the  headquarters  of  General  Heath  who  was  in  charge 
of  the  American  defences  near  Kingsbridge  before  the 
evacuation  of  the  island  by  the  patriots  in  1776.  The 
Hessian  Colonel  Rahl  also  occupied  it  after  the  attack 
on  Fort  Washington.  One  of  his  aides  fell  in  love  with 
the  pretty  daughter  of  the  house  and  promised  to  remain 
in  America  if  she  would  marry  him.  His  commanding 
officer,  as  well  as  the  girl's  parents,  favored  the  match, 
and  so  they  were  married.  When  the  Hessians  were 
captured  at  Trenton,  the  young  husband  refused  to  be 
exchanged,  but  took  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  United 
States  and,  with  his  wife,  settled  in  East  Jersey.  When 
the  patriots  were  marching  into  the  city  at  the  time  of 
the  British  evacuation,  it  is  said  that  Washington  stood 
in  front  of  the  house  while  the  troops  marched  past  in 
review.  At  the  same  time  he  gave  into  custody  a  young 
British  deserter  who  had  married  a  girl  at  the  Blue  Bell 
the  day  before  and  who  did  not  want  to  accompany  his 
comrades  on  their  departure  from  this  country.  The 
tavern  was  still  standing  in  1848,  as  a  contemporary 
writer  makes  note  of  the  fact;  and  it  is  further  shown 
by  an  advertisement  in  the  same  year  in  which  Stephen 
Dolbeer  notifies  his  friends  and  the  public  that  "he  has 
opened  the  Blue  Bell  tavern,  at  Fort  Washington." 

"Felix  Oldboy"  says  that  the  Dutchman,  having 
found  a  place  for  his  home  and  garden,  immediately  be- 
gan to  look  about  him  for  a  place  to  dig  a  canal.  We  have 
seen  how  popular  the  section  containing  the  canal  in 
Broad  Street  became.  Plans  were  early  proposed  for 
connecting  the  East  and  Hudson  Rivers  by  way  of  the 
Collect  Pond  and  the  stream  which  took  its  overflow 
into  the  Hudson  through  Lispenard's  meadow;  and  when 
the  improvements  in  Canal  Street  were  made,  even  in 
American  days,  they  at  first  took  the  form  of  a  canal 


From  168th  Street  to  Kingsbridge  333 


lined  with  trees.  The  old  Dutch  settlers  proposed 
digging  a  canal  from  the  Harlem  mere  by  way  of 
Matje  David's  Vly,  the  Hollow  Way,  or  valley  through 
which  Manhattan  Street  leads  to  the  Fort  Lee  Ferry. 
In  1827,  a  company  was  incorporated  for  the  purpose  of 
doing  what  had  been  suggested  a  century  and  a  half 
before  by  using  the  same  route.  Elaborate  plans  were 
formulated,  glowing  prospectuses  were  issued,  some  of 


THE  BLUE  BELL  TAVERN 


the  stock  was  subscribed  for,  a  part  of  the  work  was 
actually  done, — and  then  the  whole  scheme  collapsed. 

It  was  reserved  for  the  national  government  to  carry 
out  at  last  this  two- century-old  scheme  of  connecting 
the  two  rivers  and  to  save  vessels  bound  from  one  river 
to  the  other  the  long  and  hazardous  trip  around  the 
island  of  Manhattan.  The  tortuous  windings  of  Spuyten 
Duyvil  creek  did  not  commend  that  stream  to  the 
engineers,  who  decided  to  cut  through  the  base  of  the 
limestone  hill  at  the  northern  end  of  the  island,  about 
Two  Hundred  and  Twenty-second  Street,  deepen  the 


334         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Harlem,  and  connect  it  by  a  wide  and  deep  cut  with  the 
western  entrance  of  Spuyten  Duyvil  creek  from  the 
Hudson.  Several  years  were  spent  in  the  work  and 
$2,700,000  were  expended  before  the  ship  canal  was 
opened  for  traffic,  June  17,  1895.  At  the  same  time  the 
city  erected  a  great  drawbridge  to  carry  Broadway 
across  the  new  waterway.  When  the  subway  was  con- 
structed, it  was  found  that  this  bridge  would  not  be 
strong  enough  to  carry  the  increased  burden,  and  a 
clever  engineering  scheme  was  devised  to  remove  the 
old  bridge  and  replace  it  with  one  suited  to  the  increased 
prospective  weight.  The  new  bridge  was  constructed 
on  floats  and  taken  to  the  canal;  then  large  flatboats 
were  placed  under  the  old  bridge,  and  as  the  tide  rose 
it  lifted  the  floats  and  the  bridge  with  them.  The  floats 
were  then  towed  away  and  the  new  bridge  drawn  into 
the  vacant  place.  As  the  tide  fell,  the  floats  fell  with 
it  and  the  new  bridge  was  thus  lowered  into  place.  The 
plan  worked  so  well  that  there  was  but  little  loss  of  time 
or  interruption  to  traffic  over  the  roadway.  Later, 
the  New  York  Central  Railroad  determined  to  wipe 
out  the  circuitous  and  dangerous  passage  through  Kings- 
bridge.  A  dike  was  built  across  the  Harlem  River 
below  the  Farmers'  Bridge,  and  the  tracks  were  laid 
upon  a  shelf  blasted  out  on  the  northern  bank  of  the 
canal. 

The  Indian  name  of  the  stream  connecting  the  East 
and  the  North  Rivers  was  Muscoota;  but  from  the  very 
earliest  days  the  part  of  the  Harlem  River  nearest  the 
Hudson  was  called  Spuyten  Duyvil  creek,  though  how 
it  received  this  name  is  still  a  question.  Many  reasons 
have  been  given,  but  none  that  is  entirely  satisfactory. 
The  most  likely  is  that  the  name  was  given  from  the 
spring  of  water  which  "spouted"  from  the  hill  near  the 


336         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


end  of  the  island;  and  mention  is  made  of  this  spring 
in  several  of  the  early  English  grants.  Another,  offered 
by  Riker,  is  that  the  Indians  of  this  neighborhood, 
remembering  their  first  encounter  with  the  Half-Moon 
off  the  mouth  of  the  creek  and  the  firing  of  the  falcon 
that  killed  several  of  them,  called  the  creek  "Spouting 
Devil";  but  this  explanation  would  presume  on  their 
part  a  knowledge  of  English,  which  they  could  not  have 
possessed  until  sixty  years  afterward.  Before  the  con- 
struction of  the  ship  canal,  the  tides  used  to  race  through 
the  creek  with  great  rapidity,  and  when  the  two  tides 
from  the  Harlem  and  Hudson  Rivers  met,  the  tide  rips 
thus  formed  caused  a  great  turbulence  in  the  creek,  so 
that  the  water  "spouted,"  or  was  thrown  into  the  air, 
a  fact  that  will  be  remembered  by  those  acquainted  with 
the  creek  in  those  days.  Upon  ancient  maps  and  records 
we  find  many  variants  of  the  name;  as  "Spitting  devil," 
"Spiking  devil,"  "Spitten  devil,"  "Spouting  devil," 
"Spiken  devil," — but  many  of  these  we  may  lay  to 
bad  spelling,  as  colonial  orthography  was  no  better 
than  that  of  the  present-day  schoolboy.  It  is  to 
Irving  that  we  must  go  for  a  picturesque  origin  of  the 
name. 

He  says: 

Resolutely  bent,  however,  upon  defending  his  beloved 
city,  in  despite  even  of  itself,  he  [Petrus  Stuyvesant]  called 
unto  him  his  trusty  Van  Corlaer,  who  was  his  right  hand  man 
in  all  times  of  emergency.  Him  did  he  adjure  to  take  his 
war-denouncing  trumpet,  and  mounting  his  horse,  to  beat  up 
the  country  night  and  day — sounding  the  alarm  along  the 
pastoral  borders  of  the  Bronx — startling  the  wild  solitudes  of 
Croton — arousing  the  rugged  yeomanry  of  Weehawk  and 
Hoboken — the  mighty  men  of  battle  of  Tappaan  Bay — and 
the  brave  boys  of  Tarry  Town  and  Sleepy  Hollow.  .  .  . 


From  168th  Street  to  Kingsbridge  337 


It  was  a  dark  and  stormy  night  when  the  good  Anthony- 
arrived  at  the  creek  (sagely  denominated  Haerlem  river) 
which  separates  the  island  of  Mannahata  from  the  main  land. 
The  wind  was  high,  the  elements  were  in  an  uproar,  and  no 
Charon  could  be  found  to  ferry  the  adventurous  sounder  of 
brass  across  the  water.  For  a  short  time  he  vapored  like  an 
impatient  ghost  upon  the  brink,  and  then  bethinking  himself 
of  the  urgency  of  his  errand,  he  took  a  hearty  embrace  of  his 
stone  bottle,  swore  most  valorously  that  he  would  swim  across 
en  spijt  den  Duyvel,  (in  spite  of  the  devil !)  and  daringly  plunged 
into  the  stream.  Luckless  Anthony!  scarce  had  he  buffeted 
half  way  over,  when  he  was  observed  to  struggle  violently, 
as  if  battling  with  the  spirit  of  the  waters — instinctively  he 
put  his  trumpet  to  his  mouth,  and  giving  a  vehement  blast — 
sunk  for  ever  to  the  bottom. 

The  potent  clangor  of  his  trumpet  .  .  .  rung  far  and  wide 
through  the  country,  alarming  the  neighbors  round,  who 
hurried  in  amazement  to  the  spot.  Here  an  old  Dutch  bur- 
gher, famed  for  his  veracity,  and  who  had  been  a  witness  of  the 
fact,  related  to  them  the  melancholy  affair;  with  the  fearful 
addition  (to  which  I  am  slow  of  giving  belief)  that  h  saw  the 
duyvel,  in  the  shape  of  a  huge  moss-bonker,  seize  the  sturdy 
Anthony  by  the  leg,  and  drag  him  beneath  the  waves.  Certain 
it  is,  the  place,  with  the  adjoining  promontory,  which  projects 
into  the  Hudson,  has  been  called  Spijt  den  Duyvel,  or  Spiking 
devil,  ever  since.  .  .  .  Nobody  ever  attempts  to  swim  over  the 
creek  after  dark;  on  the  contrary,  a  bridge  has  been  built  to 
guard  against  such  melancholy  accidents  in  the  future — and  as 
to  moss-bonkers,  they  are  held  in  such  abhorrence,  that  no 
true  Dutchman  will  admit  them  to  his  table,  who  loves  good 
fish  and  hates  the  devil. 

At  low  tide  there  was  a  natural  ford  through  the 
creek  which  was  used  by  the  Indians  and  by  the  early 
settlers.  This  is  spoken  of  in  the  early  records  as  "the 
wading  place,1'  and  was  situated   where   the  present 

22 


338  The  World's  Greatest  Street 

Broadway  crosses.  During  the  administration  of  Gov- 
ernor Lovelace,  the  Harlem  people  established  a  ferry 
to  the  mainland  from  about  Second  Avenue  and  One 
Hundred  and  Twenty-fifth  Street,  and  Johannes  Ver- 
veelen  was  made  the  ferryman.    Rather  than  pay  his 


I 


KINGSBRIDGE  AND  SPUYTEN  DUYVEL  CREEK  BEFORE  IT  WAS  FILLED  IN 

rates,  the  farmers  and  other  travellers  continued  to  use 
the  ford;  and  so  a  fence  was  erected  to  prevent  access 
to  it  and  to  oblige  people  to  use  the  ferry.  Several 
times  the  fence  was  torn  down;  and,  finally,  Verveelen 
made  a  virtue  of  necessity  and  the  ferry  was  moved  to 
the  wading  place.  At  the  same  time  he  was  granted 
sixteen  acres  of  land  in  what  had  been  the  Jansen  grant 
of  1646,  which  the  Harlem  people  claimed  because  the 
Jansens  had  not  made  the  required  improvements  called 
for  by  their  patent.  Later,  the  Jansen  heirs  tried  to 
recover  the  land;  but  Governor  Lord  Bellomont  would 


From  168th  Street  to  Kingsbridge  339 


not  sign  the  act  of  the  provincial  legislature  restoring 
their  right  to  it.  From  the  Indian  name,  the  place  was 
known  as  Papariniman,  or  Paparinemo. 

The  ferry  was  the  only  means  of  getting  to  and  from 
the  mainland  until  1693,  when  Frederick  Philipse  secured 
his  patent  for  the  Manor  of  Philipsburgh,  one  clause  of 
which  required  that  he  should  build  and  maintain  a 
bridge  across  the  creek,  for  which  he  could  charge  and 
collect  toll,  and  that  it  should  be  called  "The  King's 
Bridge."  He  was  also  required  to  conduct  a  tavern 
for  the  accommodation  of  travellers,  and  the  rates  were 
fixed;  but  there  was  free  passage  for  farmers  and  others 
on  the  day  preceding  a  fair,  during  its  continuance,  and 
the  day  after,  as  well  as  to  troops,  their  guns  and  their 
equipment,  and  to  persons  on  government  or  public 
business.  In  17 12,  the  bridge  was  removed  to  its  present 
site  but  its  days  are  apparently  numbered,  for  the  creek 
has  been  completely  filled  in  on  the  west  and  there  is  a 
scheme  to  fill  it  in  on  the  east  as  far  as  the  New  York 
Central  tracks  and  to  use  the  land  thus  made  for  a  base- 
ball field.  It  will  be  a  great  pity  to  see  this  old  landmark 
go.  Over  it  crossed  the  retreating  army  of  the  Americans 
in  the  fall  of  1776;  over  it  they  crossed  again  in  1783 
when  they  came  into  their  own  again;  and  during  the 
war  it  was  used  constantly  by  the  British. 

For  many  years,  the  farmers  of  Westchester  County 
objected  to  paying  the  tolls  upon  the  bridge  to  help 
fill  the  coffers  of  the  manor  lord;  and  in  1758,  Jacob 
Dyckman,  Frederick  Palmer,  and  others  succeeded, 
notwithstanding  the  active,  preventive  measures  of 
Frederick  Philipse,  in  building  a  free  bridge  across  the 
creek  at  the  foot  of  the  present  Two  Hundred  and  Twenty- 
fifth  Street.  This  is  officially  known  as  the  Farmers' 
Bridge,  though  locally,  as  "Hadley's"  from  one  of  the 


340         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


early  land-owners  in  the  vicinity.  The  free  bridge  was 
opened  with  a  barbecue  and  great  rejoicings  on  the  first 
of  January,  1 759;  and  the  ancient  toll  bridge  was  soon 
forced  to  become  a  free  bridge,  also.  Dyckman  erected 
and  maintained  a  tavern  on  the  Manhattan  side;  on  the 
Westchester  side,  the  bridge  conducted  travellers  into 

I 


I 

I 


CENTURY  HOUSE,   NEAR  SPUYTEN  DUYVIL  CREEK,  HARLEM   RIVER,    1 86 1 


John  Archer's  village  of  Fordham;  i.e.,  the  ham,  or 
town,  at  the  ford. 

The  tavern  became  immensely  popular  on  account 
of  the  diversion  of  traffic  from  the  old  bridge,  but  it  did 
not  pay,  and  in  consequence  Jacob  Dyckman  was  obliged 
to  make  an  assignment.  His  property  of  thirty  acres 
was  sold  February  n,  1773,  to  Caleb  Hyatt,  who  con- 
tinued to  conduct  the  tavern  and  who  was  succeeded  by 
his  son  Jacob,  so  that  it  became  known  as  Hyatt's  Tavern, 
and  is  so  spoken  of  by  General  Heath  in  his  memoirs. 


From  168th  Street  to  Kingsbridge  341 


The  Farmers'  Bridge  was  destroyed  by  the  British 
when  at  the  end  of  the  war  they  left  this  section.  On 
the  bank  of  the  Harlem,  near  Two  Hundred  and  Thir- 
teenth Street,  Jan  Nagel,  2d,  built  a  stone  house 
in  1736,  which  was  known  for  many  years  as  the  Cen- 
tury House.  Its  destruction  is  only  quite  recent.  Up 
to  within  twenty  years  ago,  boats  used  to  ply  on  the 
Harlem  from  the  Third  Avenue  bridge  as  far  as  the 
Century  House.  There  were  the  Tiger  Lily  and  several 
others;  and  the  sail  was  a  pleasant  one,  the  boat  stopping 
at  High  Bridge  and  other  places  where  there  were  beer 
gardens  and  similar  pleasure  resorts,  and  connecting 
with  the  fast  boats  which  formerly  ran  from  Harlem 
Bridge  to  Peck  Slip — this  was  before  the  days  of  the 
elevated  railroad. 

There  are  a  good  many  Revolutionary  associations 
connected  with  this  neighborhood;  for  the  British  had 
two  forts  on  Marble  Hill  near  the  end  of  the  island. 
These  were  Fort  Prince  Charles  and  the  Cock  Hill  Fort; 
they  also  had  two  pontoon  bridges  connecting  with  the 
mainland,  one  near  the  Hudson  and  the  other  below 
Fort  George;  in  addition,  Tubby  Hook  was  also  fortified. 
On  the  day  of  the  assault  upon  Fort  Washington,  No- 
vember 16,  1776,  Lord  Cornwallis  with  several  thousand 
troops  went  through  the  creek  in  a  flotilla  of  boats  for 
the  purpose  of  attacking  the  fortifications  from  the 
Hudson  River  side;  after  the  fall  of  the  fort  this  section 
remained  in  the  possession  of  the  British  until  the  close 
of  the  war.  Heath  describes  an  attempt  to  recover 
Fort  Independence  from  the  enemy  in  December,  1776, 
during  which  the  Americans  attempted  to  place  a  cannon 
on  the  opposite  bank  of  the  Harlem  so  as  to  get  the  range 
of  the  forts  on  Marble  Hill;  but  the  British  acted  first 
and  opened  fire  on  them  so  that  the  patriots  had  to  scam- 


342  The  World's  Greatest  Street 

per  up  the  bank,  dragging  their  gun  behind  them.  The 
fire  from  the  Americans,  however,  sent  the  Hessians 


OLD  KINGSBRIDGE  HOTEL.     A  POPULAR  ROAD-HOUSE  OF  FORMER  DAYS 


within  their  forts  and  into  the  cellars  of  the  houses  for 
safety. 

At  Two  Hundred  and  Twenty-seventh  Street  is  a 
large  building,  giving  evidences  of  having  seen  better  days. 
It  is  called  the  Kingsbridge  Hotel,  but  was  more  famous 
in  the  days  of  the  horse  as  the  Kingsbridge  Inn,  when  it 
was  a  favorite  road-house. 


CHAPTER  XIV 


THE  BOROUGH  OF  THE  BRONX  AND  LOWER  WESTCHESTER 

COUNTY 


River;  the  northern  limits  of  the  tract  were  indeter- 
minate. Owing  to  the  fact  that  the  first  settler  was 
Jonas  Bronk,  the  eastern  portion  of  this  purchase  was 
called  "  Brouncksland"  and  the  river  near  his  house 
and  farm  was  called  Bronk's  River,  from  which  we  get, 
by  easy  transition,  the  Bronx.  On  November  I,  1683, 
the  proprietary  of  New  York  was  divided  into  twelve 
counties,  and  the  land  just  mentioned  became  a  part  of 
Westchester  County. 

Strung  along  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Hudson  was 
a  number  of  Indian  villages  belonging  to  the  Manhattans, 
the  Weckquaesgeeks,  the  Sint  Sincks  and  other  kindred 
tribes  of  the  Mohicans.  Between  these  villages  were 
Indian  trails  which  were  used  by  the  incoming  whites; 


year  1639,  Cornelis  Van  Tienhoven, 
the  fiscal,  or  secretary,  of  the  Dutch 
West  India  Company,  bought  from 
the  Indians  a  tract  of  land  called 
Keskeskeck  on  the  Maine,  north  of 
the  Harlem  River,  whose  eastern 
boundary  was  Bronk's  kill,  and 
western,    the    Noordt,    or  Hudson 


343 


344         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


these,  in  time,  developed  into  wagon  roads,  and  the  Albany 
Post-road,  the  present  Broadway,  was  such  an  expansion 
of  the  old  Indian  trail  with  modifications  as  far  as  Albany. 
On  the  nineteenth  of  June,  1703,  the  colonial  assembly 
passed:  "An  act  for  the  Laying  out  Regulateing  Clearing 
and  preserving  Publick  Comon  highways  thro'out  this 
Colony,"  part  of  which  reads  as  follows: 

And  one  other  Publick  Comon  General  Highway  to  Ex- 
tend from  Kings  Bridge  in  the  County  of  Westchester  thro' 
the  same  County  of  Westchester  Dutchess  County  and  the 
County  of  Albany  of  the  breadth  of  Four  Rod  English  Measure 
at  the  Least  to  be  Continued  and  remain  for  ever  the  Publick 
Comon  General  Road  and  Highway  from  King  Bridge  afore- 
said to  the  Ferry  at  Crawlew  over  against  the  City  of  Albany. 

This  was  the  legal  beginning  of  the  post-road,  but 
it  was  many  years  before  it  became  a  post-road  in  the 
ordinary  accepted  meaning  of  the  term. 

From  the  Philadelphia  Almanack  of  177 Q,  we  take 
the  following  extract  from  the  table  of  roads  from  Phila- 
delphia to  Crown  Point: 

From  Philadelphia  to  New  York,  97;  to  Kingfbridge,  15; 
to  Cocklins,  22 ;  to  Crotons  Riv.,  12 ;  to  Peekfkill,  10 ;  to  Rogers, 
9;  to  Fifhkill,  11;  to  Poughkeepffe,  14;  to  Staatfborough,  11; 
to  Rynbeck,  6;  to  Schermerhorns,  10;  to  Livingftons  M.,  14; 
to  Claverack,  7;  to  Kinderhook,  14;  to  half  way  H.,  10;  to 
Albany,  10  

a  total  of  175  miles  from  New  York  to  Albany.  The 
place  termed  "Cocklins"  is  in  Tarrytown  and  should  be 
Conklin's;  as  we  find  in  the  town  records  of  Greenburgh, 
Westchester  County,  under  date  of  1742:  "fore  overzeers 
for  the  Kings  Roads  Jacop  Conklin,  for  the  Road  from 
tomas  storm  [Thomas  Storm's]  to  the  mills  [Philipse's  on 


The  Bronx  and  Lower  Westchester  County  345 

the  Pocantico — this  would  be  a  portion  of  Broadway] 
.  .  .  and  Joseph  Conklin,  Junr." 

Upon  crossing  the  Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek  by  the 
ford,  the  ferry,  or  the  bridge,  the  traveller  arrived  on  a 
marshy  island  called  Paparinemo.  The  Indians  called 
this  section  Shorrack-kappock,  and  they  had  a  village 
on  Spuyten  Duyvil,  or  Berrien's  neck  called  Nipnichsen. 
Northward  of  Paparinemo  was  a  great  meadow,  or 
marsh,  through  which  meandered  Tibbett's  brook,  the 
Mosholu  of  the  Indians.  The  traveller  could  not,  there- 
fore, go  north,  but  was  obliged  to  turn  toward  the  east 
through  the  marsh  to  the  higher  and  dryer  ground  on  the 
east  side  of  the  valley.  Later,  about  1695,  a  causeway 
was  built  on  the  line  of  Macomb  Street,  which  made  it 
easier  and  dryer.  Upon  reaching  the  higher  ground 
the  road  divided,  the  main  one  going  up  over  the  hill  and 
across  to  Williamsbridge  and  Boston,  the  other  turning 
northward  and  crossing  to  the  west  side  of  the  valley 
in  front  of  the  Van  Cortlandt  mansion;  this  latter  was 
the  Albany  Post-road  and  was  opened  as  far  as  the  Saw- 
kill  in  1669.  About  1808,  the  Highland  Turnpike  Com- 
pany filled  in  the  marsh  above  the  bridge  and  continued 
the  road  up  the  middle  of  the  valley,  erecting  gates  and 
charging  toll;  this  is  the  approximate  line  of  Broadway 
of  the  present. 

The  first  white  owner  of  this  section  after  the  purchase 
of  1639  was  Adrien  Van  der  Donck,  a  native  of  Holland 
and  a  lawyer  by  profession.  He  was  an  educated  and 
well-to-do  man,  and  he  bought  from  the  company  and 
the  Indians  a  large  tract  extending  several  miles  up  the 
Hudson.  In  Holland  the  sons  of  a  gentleman  are  called 
jonkheer,  and  Van  der  Donck  was  always  called  de 
Jonkheer  Van  der  Donck.  His  tract  was  called  by  the 
English  the  "Jonkheer's  land";  which,  by  natural  con- 


346         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


traction,  and  since  the  Dutch  "j"  is  pronounced  "y," 
became  the  Yonkers,  the  name  by  which  this  section 
was  known  until  about  1830,  when  it  became  simply 
Yonkers. 

Under  the  provisions  for  forming  patroonships  adopted 
by  the  company  in  1629,  Van  der  Donck  took  steps  to 
form  his  purchases  of  1646  into  a  patroonship;  but  he 
was  disliked  by  Governor  Stuyvesant,  whose  arrogant 
will  he  had  attempted  to  thwart,  and  he  did  not  succeed 
in  becoming  a  patroon  until  1653,  dying  within  a  couple 
of  years  later.  His  property  of  Colon  Donck  (Donck's 
Colony)  as  it  was  called  by  the  Dutch,  or  Nepperhaem, 
as  it  was  called  in  his  grond  brief,  or  land  patent,  passed 
into  the  possession  of  his  widow,  who  married  Hugh 
O'Neale  of  Patuxent,  Maryland,  before  1651.  She  turned 
the  property  over  to  her  brother,  Elias  Doughty,  in 
1666.  He  sold  the  tract  to  various  purchasers,  one  of 
whom,  Frederick  Philipse,  became  in  time  the  owner 
of  nearly  all  that  had  belonged  to  Van  der  Donck  as  well 
as  a  great  deal  more,  carrying  his  territory  as  far  north 
as  the  Croton  River.  He  was  the  richest  man  in  the 
colony  and  was  called  by  the  English  "the  Dutch  mil- 
lionaire. "  In  1693,  his  land  was  formed  into  the  English 
manor  of  Philipsborough,  or  Philipsburgh ;  at  the  same 
time  he  built  the  bridge  over  Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek  and 
as  manor-lord  became  responsible  for  the  maintenance 
of  the  road  to  the  bridge,  the  Albany  Post-road.  During 
the  time  of  Governor  Fletcher,  Philipse  was  more  deeply 
interested  in  the  piratical  and  contraband  trade  than 
any  other  merchant,  and  his  name  was  sent  to  England  as 
one  of  those  who  should  be  investigated.  He  was  one 
of  the  backers  of  Captain  Kidd  in  Bellomont's  time,  and 
it  is  stated  that  Lord  Bellomont  remarked  that:  "If  the 
coffers  of  Frederick  Philipse  were  searched,  Captain 


The  Bronx  and  Lower  Westchester  County  347 


Kidd's  missing  treasures  could  easily  be  found."  As 
a  result  of  Bellomont's  attempts  to  suppress  the  "free" 
trade,  Philipse  resigned  from  the  council  and  retired 
to  his  manor  about  1698  and  spent  the  remaining  years 


From  a  photograph 


THE  GODWIN,  FORMERLY  THE  MACOMB  HOUSE,  KINGSBRIDGE 

of  his  life  in  its  development.  He  died  in  1702,  at  the  age 
of  seventy-six. 

The  first  manor-lord  was  succeeded  by  his  grandson, 
also  a  Frederick  Philipse,  and  a  minor  at  the  time  of  his 
grandfather's  death;  and  he,  in  turn,  was  succeeded  by 
his  son,  Colonel  Frederick  Philipse,  the  third  and  last 
manor-lord,  in  1751.  Colonel  Philipse  was  a  Tory,  or 
at  least  a  neutral,  during  the  Revolution  and  lost  his 
estate  by  confiscation  in  1779  under  the  laws  against 
the  loyalists  enacted  by  the  State  legislature.  He  died 
in  England  in  1785,  having  gone  there  to  live  when  the 
exodus  of  the  British  took  place  in  1783.    The  British 


348  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Government  reimbursed  him  for  the  loss  of  his  possessions, 
paying  him  about  three  hundred  thousand  dollars. 

The  bridge  over  Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek  is  faced  by  a 
square  stone  house,  known  as  the  Godwin  house,  which 
was  built  by  Alexander  Macomb  in  the  early  part  of  the 
nineteenth  century  and  was  long  occupied  by  his  widow. 
Edgar  Allan  Poe,  who  lived  at  Fordham,  less  than  two 
miles  away,  was  a  frequent  visitor  at  the  Macomb  house. 
Incorporated  in  the  mansion,  it  is  believed,  is  the  old  inn 
which  was  erected  by  Frederick  Philipse  in  1693  and 
maintained  by  various  inn-keepers  for  over  a  century.  It 
was  known  at  one  time  as  Cock's  Tavern;  and  at  another 
time,  Cooper,  in  his  novel  of  Satanstoe,  makes  the  land- 
lady a  Mrs.  Lighte.  His  hero,  Corney  Littlepage,  and 
his  friend  Dirck  stopped  at  the  inn  upon  several  occasions. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  nineteenth  century,  General 
Alexander  Macomb  secured  the  right  of  establishing 
mill-dams  and  mills  upon  the  Harlem  River.  The  stream 
was  dammed  at  the  present  Central  Bridge  near  the 
terminus  of  Eighth  Avenue,  and  also  at  Spuyten  Duyvil, 
and  a  mill  erected  at  the  latter  place.  The  scheme  was 
unsuccessful,  nor  did  the  general's  son  do  any  better. 
The  mill  stood  on  the  northern  side  of  the  creek,  not  far 
from  the  ancient  bridge,  and  was  supported  by  piers  in 
the  water,  as  well  as  on  the  land.  The  power  was  that 
of  the  tide.  After  the  failure  of  the  plan,  the  mill  stood 
for  many  years  unused;  it  was  then  converted  into  a 
boarding-house  for  workmen,  but  was  finally  deserted. 
It  became  in  time  a  menace  to  life  and  was  indicted  as  a 
nuisance,  but  in  1853,  it  took  itself  out  of  the  way  during 
a  heavy  storm  and  fell  to  pieces. 

The  old  road  curves  around  the  Godwin  house  lot, 
and  a  short  distance  above  is  Macomb  Street,  the  site 
of  the  original  causey  connecting  the  bridge  with  the 


The  Bronx  and  Lower  Westchester  County  349 


village  of  Fordham  which  was  situated  near  the  present 
Putnam  railroad  station.  As  we  proceed  north,  on  our 
left  is  the  rocky  core  of  the  island  of  Paparinemo,  but 
within  half  a  mile  we  are  crossing  the  meadows  contiguous 
to  Tibbett's  brook,  which  gets  its  name  from  one  of  the 
purchasers  from  Doughty  of  the  Van  der  Donck  land. 


VAN  CORTLANDT  MANSION  IN  VAN  CORTLANDT  PARK 

These  meadows  extend  for  a  considerable  distance; 
but  if  we  measure  the  future  by  the  past,  there  is  no 
doubt  that  within  twenty-five  years,  they  will  be  drained, 
filled  in,  and  built  upon.  Overhead,  the  "subway" 
thunders  to  its  termination  at  Van  Cortlandt  Park,  to 
be  extended  some  of  these  days  to  the  Yonkers  line. 

In  the  year  1788,  the  legislature  of  the  State  formed 
several  new  counties  and  divided  them,  as  well  as  the 
existing  ten,  into  townships.  The  town  of  Yonkers 
extended  to  Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek  on  the  south.  In 
November,  1872,  the  lower  portion  was  formed  into  the 


35°         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


township  of  Kingsbridge;  and  on  January  I,  1874,  it 
became  a  part  of  the  city  of  New  York  and  a  part  of  the 
Twenty-fourth  Ward.  After  the  formation  of  the  greater 
city  in  1895,  it  became  a  part  of  the  Borough  of  The 
Bronx. 

There  are  many  historic  associations  connected  with 
the  spot,  for  here  all  travellers  to  and  from  Manhattan 
had  to  cross  until  the  new  bridge  was  erected  over  the 
Harlem  near  Third  Avenue  in  1797  and  Coles  laid  out 
his  new  Boston  Road  through  Morrisania.  On  Spuyten 
Duyvil  neck  the  Americans  constructed  three  redoubts 
to  command  the  creek,  and  on  Tetard's  hill  to  the  east, 
they  erected  a  more  pretentious  affair,  which  they  named 
Fort  Independence,  which  commanded  the  bridges. 
When  the  British  occupied  the  place  in  the  fall  of  1776, 
these  redoubts  were  strengthened  and  formed  Numbers 
One,  Two,  Three,  and  Four  of  a  chain  of  eight  redoubts 
along  the  creek  and  the  Harlem.  They  served  as  bases 
for  the  marauding  parties  that  went  out  through  the 
country  and  also  as  havens  of  refuge  in  case  of  retreat. 

For  a  number  of  years  preceding  1905,  contractors 
were  engaged  in  laying  an  immense  trunk  sewer  under 
the  highway,  and  the  different  strata  of  soil  were  exposed 
so  that  one  could  easily  trace  nature's  work  in  filling 
in  this  ancient  bay.  The  road  was  regraded  and  repaved 
and  the  trolley  line  connecting  with  Yonkers  became  more 
pleasant  to  ride  upon,  as  passengers  were  not  subjected 
to  the  bumps  of  the  uneven  road,  nor  to  delays  in  waiting 
for  other  cars  on  the  single  track  road.  Then  followed 
the  change  in  the  tracks  of  the  New  York  Central  which 
did  away  with  several  of  the  most  dangerous  grade 
crossings  in  the  State.  As  we  cross  the  meadows,  we 
find  that  they  are  closing  in  and  that  the  land  north 
of  us  is  becoming  higher.    On  our  right  we  soon  come 


The  Bronx  and  Lower  Westchester  County   35 1 


to  Van  Cortlandt  Park  with  a  group  of  fine  trees  about 
the  old  mansion,  very  frequently  miscalled  the  "manor- 
house.  " 

The  first  wife  of  the  first  Frederick  Philipse  was  a 
widow  with  a  daughter  Eva,  whom  Philipse  legally 


VAN  CORTLANDT  PARK.     THE  DAM  AND  MILL 


adopted  as  his  own.  She  married  Jacobus  Van  Cort- 
landt to  whom  Philipse  sold  fifty  morgens  of  land  at  a 
bend  of  Tibbett's  brook  called  George's  point.  Here 
Van  Cortlandt  erected  his  house,  dammed  the  brook, 
and  built  mills  which  were  used  until  about  1880,  but 
which  were  demolished  about  five  years  ago  by  the  park 
department,  as  they  were  too  rotten  to  repair  and  toe 
dangerous  to  be  left  standing.  The  house  stood  between 
the  dam  and  the  group  of  locusts;  its  foundations  and 
some  old  Dutch  bottles  and  pottery  were  discovered  in 


352  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


grading  the  grounds  here  about  ten  years  ago.  It  is 
supposed  that  Van  der  Donck's  house  had  formerly 
occupied  the  same  site.  The  mansion  now  standing 
west  of  the  dam,  and  used  as  a  museum  of  Colonial  and 
Revolutionary  relics  under   charge   of   The  Colonial 


VAN  CORTLANDT  PARK.      RUINS  OF  OLD  MILL,   REMOVED  IN  I9O3 

Dames  of  the  State  of  New  York,  was  built  in  1748  by 
Frederick  Van  Cortlandt,  who  died  in  the  following 
year.  As  the  property  received  from  his  father  Jacobus 
was  entailed,  it  passed  to  Frederick's  eldest  son,  also  a 
Jacobus,  and  was  known  as  "Lower  Van  Cortlandt's, " 
a  second  son,  Frederick,  at  the  time  of  the  Revolution 
city  clerk  of  New  York,  having  a  place  on  the  post- 
road  a  short  distance  above  and  known  as  "Upper  Van 


The  Bronx  and  Lower  Westchester  County  353 

Cortlandt's,"  or  the  "white  house."  At  this  latter  place, 
the  British  usually  kept  an  outpost  throughout  the  war. 
It  was  captured  by  General  Lincoln  in  the  advance  against 
Fort  Independence  and  the  other  fortifications  in  this 
neighborhood  in  December,  1776,  by  an  expedition  under 
Major- General  Heath.  On  the  east  side  of  the  valley, 
near  the  junction  of  the  Boston  and  the  Albany  post- 
roads,  Richard  Montgomery,  afterwards  a  major-general 
in  the  army,  who  was  killed  at  Quebec,  had  a  farm  after 
he  had  resigned  from  the  British  army  and  had  come 
to  America,  where,  he  said  "he  could  hide  his  pride  and 
his  poverty. " 

The  Colonel  Jacobus  Van  Cortlandt  of  Revolutionary 
times  was  a  Tory  of  a  mild  type,  and  his  patriotic  friends 
and  neighbors  who  were  so  unfortunate  as  to  fall  into 
the  hands  of  the  British  often  had  their  condition  ameli- 
orated by  the  exertions  of  the  kindly  gentleman.  The 
house  has  entertained  distinguished  visitors,  including 
Washington  and  Rochambeau  during  the  grand  recon- 
naissance of  the  allied  armies  in  the  summer  of  1781. 
Washington  also  stopped  here  on  his  way  to  the  city 
with  Governor  Clinton  and  General  Knox  in  November, 
1783.  The  old  line  of  Broadway  still  exists  to  the  west 
of  the  present  highway,  wandering  through  the  hamlet 
of  Mosholu.  On  the  west  is  the  Riverdale  ridge  with 
its  knobby  hummocks  of  land,  in  the  midst  of  which  the 
fleeing  Stockbridge  Indians  sought  refuge  after  their 
defeat  by  Simcoe,  Tarleton,  and  Emmerick  a  couple  of 
miles  away  in  the  northeast  corner  of  Van  Cortlandt  Park. 

The  entire  Van  Cortlandt  estate  and  other  property, 
amounting  to  1132  acres,  were  acquired  by  the  city  of 
New  York  in  1884  and  formed  into  Van  Cortlandt  Park, 
which  lies  to  the  east  of  Broadway  up  to  the  city  line. 
Just  north  of  the  Van  Cortlandt  mansion  is  the  parade 
23 


354         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


ground,  which  is  also  used  for  the  game  of  polo.  At 
its  upper  end  is  the  high  hill  known  as  Vault  Hill,  where 
are  the  burial  ground  and  vaults  of  the  Van  Cortlandts. 
Upon  the  evacuation  of  New  York  by  the  Americans 
in  1776,  Frederick  Van  Cortlandt,  the  city  clerk,  hid 


MONUMENT  ON  INDIAN  FIELD,  VAN  CORTLANDT  PARK 


the  city  records  within  the  vaults,  but  they  were  soon 
discovered  by  the  British  and  returned  to  the  city  hall. 
After  the  reconnaissance  in  force  of  the  allied  armies 
which  were  threatening  New  York  in  the  summer  of 
1 78 1,  news  reached  Washington  that  the  Count  de  Grasse 
with  his  fleet  was  approaching  the  capes  of  the  Chesa- 
peake and  that  Lafayette  had  Cornwallis  trapped  in 
Yorktown,  Virginia.  The  armies  were  paraded  as  if 
to  attack  New  York,  but  were  at  once  wheeled  about 


The  Bronx  and  Lower  Westchester  County  355 

and  took  up  the  march  for  the  King's  Ferry  at  Ver- 
planck's  Point  below  Peekskill.  In  order  to  deceive 
Clinton  and  make  him  believe  the  armies  were  still  north 
of  the  Harlem  River,  extensive  camp-fires  were  main- 
tained for  several  days  on  Vault  Hill ;  and  Clinton  did  not 
know  that  the  allies  had  departed  until  he  received  word 
from  his  outposts  that  the  Americans  and  the  French 
were  half  way  across  the  Jerseys  on  their  way  to  Phila- 
delphia and  Yorktown;  then  it  was  too  late  to  intercept 
them. 

The  land  becomes  higher  as  we  approach  the  city 
of  Yonkers.  The  southern  suburbs  of  that  progressive 
city  have  been  developed  principally  within  the  past 
five  years,  a  development  due  to  the  completion  of  the 
subway  to  Van  Cortlandt.  South  Broadway,  as  the 
thoroughfare  is  known  in  Yonkers,  passes  down  a  steep 
hill  to  Getty  Square.  Here  are  two  buildings  of  special 
interest,  the  Hollywood  Inn  and  St.  John's  Protestant 
Episcopal  Church. 

Hollywood  Inn  was  built  for  and  presented  to  the 
workingmen  of  Yonkers  by  the  late  William  F.  Cochran, 
a  wealthy  manufacturer  and  philanthropist  of  the  city, 
as  a  club-house  for  their  use.  It  is  unsectarian,  and  no 
attempt  is  made  to  use  it  for  anything  else  than  for  the 
recreation,  amusement,  and  instruction  of  the  men, 
among  whom  it  numbers  a  membership  of  over  a  thou- 
sand. It  is  probably  the  pioneer  among  workingmen's 
clubs  in  this  country,  and  the  plan  of  management  and 
the  way  it  is  conducted  have  served  as  models  for  similar 
enterprises,  both  in  this  country  and  in  others.  On  the 
outskirts  of  the  city  there  is  also  an  open-air  ground  for 
baseball  and  other  out-of-door  games. 

St.  John's  Church  owes  its  being  to  the  secona  manor- 
lord.    The  first  Frederick  Philipse  was  a  member  of  the 


356  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Reformed  Dutch  Church,  but  his  grandson,  having  an 
English  mother  and  being  born  and  brought  up  in  Bar- 
bados, became  a  devout  member  of  the  Church  of  England. 
During  the  greater  part  of  colonial  days,  St.  John's  was 


YONKERS,  GETTY  SQUARE,   HOLLYWOOD  INN,  AND  ST.  JOHN'S  CHURCH 


a  part  of  the  parish  of  Westchester,  the  rector  of  St. 
Peter's  at  Westchester  borough  town  coming  to  the 
Yonkers  once  a  month.  The  first  church  edifice  was 
erected  in  1752,  under  a  legacy  made  by  the  second 
manor-lord,  who  had  died  the  previous  year.  Colonel 
Philipse,  his  successor,  supplemented  the  benefactions 
of  his  father  and  secured  a  glebe  to  the  church,  which 
remained  as  a  mission  until  1787  when  it  became  a 
separate  parish.    Besides  the  rectors  of  St.  Peter's  at 


The  Bronx  and  Lower  Westchester  County  357 

Westchester,  from  1764  onwards,  the  church  had  its 
own  ministers  who  were  furnished  by  the  Propagation 
Society  in  London;  but  the  church  still  remained  a  part 
of  Westchester  parish.  The  first  of  these  ministers  was 
Harry  Munro,  the  second  was  Luke  Babcock,  who  main- 
tained the  king's  side  so  loyally  that  at  the  outbreak  of 
the  Revolution  he  was  captured  by  a  party  of  raiders 
and  treated  so  inhumanly  that  he  died  from  the  effects 
of  his  ill-treatment.  His  widow  was  courted  by  Colonel 
Gist  of  the  American  forces,  who  used  to  visit  her  as 
often  and  as  secretly  as  he  could,  with  his  force  to  protect 
him.  This  becoming  known  to  the  British,  an  elaborate 
plan  was  devised  for  his  capture  by  Simcoe,  Emmerick, 
and  De  Lancey,  which  only  failed  of  bagging  Gist  and 
his  whole  command  through  the  stupidity  of  some  of  the 
German  mercenaries  of  the  British.  A  third  minister 
was  George  Panton ;  but  as  his  term  was  during  the  Revo- 
lution, he  found  his  labors  both  unsatisfactory  and 
dangerous.  In  1791,  the  church  edifice  was  destroyed 
by  fire,  but  was  rebuilt  the  following  year.  When  the 
present  edifice  was  erected  in  1870,  the  people  were  so 
attached  to  the  old  building  and  its  associations  that  as 
much  as  possible  of  it  was  incorporated  in  the  new. 

The  most  interesting  building  in  the  city  is  the  old 
manor-house  of  the  Philipses,  which  was  used  as  a  city 
hall  until  1909,  when  Mrs.  Cochran,  the  widow  of  the 
philanthropist,  secured  it  and  turned  it  over  to  the  local 
patriotic  and  historical  societies  for  preservation.  It 
bears  the  dates  1 682-1 882,  they  being  placed  there  at 
the  bi-centenary  celebration  in  the  latter  year.  The 
first  manor-lord  erected  a  strong  stone  building  which 
was  used  as  a  trading  post  and  mills,  and  which  was  called 
by  Philipse  the  "lower  mills."  The  present  building, 
which  has  the  original  one  incorporated  with  it,  was  built 


358         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


by  the  second  manor-lord  in  1745.  Workmen  and 
materials  were  imported  from  England  especially  for 
the  construction  of  the  mansion;  and  the  elaborate 
carvings  and  workmanship  are  visible  to-day.  Every 
kind  of  available  tree  and  plant  that  would  grow  in  this 
climate  was  imported  and  planted  in  the  gardens,  which 
reached  down  to  the  bank  of  the  Hudson  in  a  series  of 


From  a  photograph 

PHILIPSE  MANOR  HOUSE,  YONKERS 


terraces.  Some  of  the  boxwood  hedges  were  in  1830  ten 
feet  high.  Every  person  of  distinction  who  visited  the 
province  was  made  welcome  and  entertained  by  the 
manor-lord.  In  the  attic  of  the  house,  so  it  was  said, 
there  were  quarters  for  fifty  household  servants  alone; 
from  which  some  idea  may  be  gained  of  the  lavish  scale 
upon  which  these  great  landowners  lived.  Besides  negro 
slaves,  of  which  there  were  very  few,  the  servants  and 
employees  consisted  of  bond-servants,  or  redemptioners. 
But  these  manor-lords  were  not  landowners  only;  they 
were  great  merchants  whose  ships  visited  all  parts  of  the 


The  Bronx  and  Lower  Westchester  County  359 

world  with  which  the  navigation  laws  permitted  them 
to  trade  and  brought  back  the  productions  of  every  clime. 
Nor  did  they  always  obey  these  laws ;  for  it  is  a  notorious 
fact  that  about  one  third  of  the  colonial  trade  was  contra- 
band, and  that  the  great,  noble,  and  wealthy  merchants 
of  all  the  colonies  thought  it  no  sin  to  cheat  the  king 
of  his  revenue  whenever  they  could  find  or  make  the 
opportunity.  In  addition  to  their  foreign  trade,  they 
carried  on  a  fur  trade  with  the  Indians  in  the  valley 
of  the  Mohawk  and  as  far  west  as  the  French  permitted 
them  to  go. 

In  1785,  the  commissioners  of  forfeiture  appointed 
by  authority  of  the  state  sold  the  confiscated  estates  of 
Colonel  Philipse,  preference  in  purchase  being  given  to 
the  old  tenants  of  the  manor  lands.  In  this  way  the 
manor-house  with  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  sur- 
rounding it  came  into  the  possession  of  Cornelius  P. 
Low,  a  merchant  of  New  York,  for  fourteen  thousand 
five  hundred  and  twenty  pounds.  In  18 13,  the  property 
passed  into  the  hands  of  Lemuel  Wells,  who  died  in- 
testate in  1842.  His  widow  and  heirs  divided  the  prop- 
erty up  into  lots,  and  they  were  sold  under  orders  of  the 
Chancery  Court.  Five  years  later,  the  Hudson  River 
Railroad  was  built,  and  Yonkers  began  to  grow.  It  became 
a  city  in  1 8  72,  and  it  now  has  a  population  of  over  eighty 
thousand  inhabitants.  It  is  a  great  manufacturing  city 
of  varied  industries,  but  the  chief  outputs  are  carpets, 
rugs,  and  hats.  The  power  for  many  years  was  fur- 
nished by  the  Nepperhan  River,  which  was  dammed 
in  several  places.  These  dams  were  broken  by  the 
authorities  in  1892  on  the  score  of  their  being  dan- 
gerous to  the  public  health.  Van  der  Donck  had 
erected  a  saw-mill  on  the  river,  and  the  stream  had 
been  called  de  Zaag  kill,  or  Sawmill  River,  by  which 


360         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


name  it  is  better  known  to-day  than  by  its  Indian 
name  of  Nepperhan. 

We  pass  up  a  very  steep  hill  in  leaving  Yonkers 
toward  the  north,  where  the  highway  is  called  North 
Broadway;  this  is  on  the  flank  of  one  of  the  numerous 
hills  upon  which  the  city  is  situated  and  which  is  called 
Boar,  or  Hog,  Hill.  The  Americans  encamped  here 
upon  numerous  occasions  during  the  Revolution  when 
engaged  in  guerilla  warfare,  and  in  1781,  during  the 
advance  of  the  allied  armies,  it  was  the  right  of  the  Amer- 
ican line.  The  ancient  road  came  into  the  control  of 
the  Highland  Turnpike  Company  about  1806,  which  pro- 
ceeded to  improve  and  straighten  it,  erecting  gates  and 
charging  toll  for  its  maintenance.  It  thus  became  known, 
not  only  as  the  Albany  Post-road,  but  also  as  the  High- 
land Turnpike,  and  so  appears  on  many  documents 
describing  property  or  residence. 

Up  to  a  few  years  ago,  this  portion  of  the  road  was 
bordered  with  the  elegant  mansions  and  estates  of  wealthy 
merchants  and  professional  men,  but  the  real-estate 
broker  has  taken  possession  and  the  suburban  villa  is 
rapidly  appearing.  The  most  famous  of  these  estates 
was  that  of  "Grey stone,"  the  residence  of  Samuel  J. 
Tilden,  now  the  property  of  Samuel  Untermeyer,  a 
prominent  lawyer  of  New  York ;  Untermeyer  was  credited 
with  having  received  in  January,  19 10,  the  record  fee 
of  seven  hundred  and  fifty  thousand  dollars  for  a  case 
upon  which  he  had  been  engaged  for  two  or  three  years. 

The  next  place  through  which  Broadway  passes  is 
Hastings,  a  village  in  which  there  were  some  manufac- 
turing industries  when  it  was  first  started  in  1850,  but 
which  is  now  given  over  almost  entirely  to  residential 
purposes.  It  is  in  the  township  of  Greenburgh.  Two 
incidents  of  the  Revolution  are  recorded  as  happening 


The  Bronx  and  Lower  Westchester  County  361 

here.  After  the  fall  of  Fort  Washington,  six  thousand 
troops  under  Lord  Cornwallis  crossed  the  Hudson  at 
Hastings  for  an  attack  upon  Fort  Lee,  which  was  evacu- 
ated in  such  haste  by  the  Americans  that  they  left 
much  of  their  baggage  behind  them.  The  other  incident 
occurred  in  Edgar's  lane  and  probably  gives  rise  to  the 
story  of  the  Headless  Horseman,  who,  according  to  the 
legend,  was  a  Hessian.  Colonel  Sheldon  of  the  American 
army,  hearing  that  a  body  of  Hessians  under  Lieutenant 
Wurtz  was  coming  out  on  a  marauding  expedition  from 
Philipse's  (Yonkers),  placed  his  dragoons  in  ambush  in 
the  lane  and  awaited  their  approach.  The  Hessians 
were  guided  into  the  trap  by  a  farmer  of  the  neighbor- 
hood named  Peter  Post,  who  was  afterwards  maltreated 
by  the  enemy  for  his  share  in  the  affair.  The  Hessian 
dragoons,  unaware  of  their  danger,  rode  carelessly  along; 
suddenly  the  Americans  were  upon  them  at  full  charge. 
Many  of  the  Hessians  were  killed  and  wounded  and  several 
were  driven  into  the  river  where  they  were  drowned  or 
captured.    This  was  in  the  spring  of  1777. 

Dobbs  Ferry  got  its  name  from  the  fact  that  one 
of  the  tenants  of  the  Philipses  was  a  Swede  named  Jere- 
miah Dobbs,  who  added  to  his  gains  as  a  fisherman  by 
ferrying  people  across  the  Hudson  during  colonial  times. 
His  ferry  boat  was  a  periauger,  a  large  canoe  or  dugout 
made  from  a  single  tree.  The  name  has  been  rather 
obnoxious  to  the  wealthy  residents  of  the  place,  and  several 
attempts  have  been  made  to  change  it.  As  early  as  1830, 
Van  Brugh  Livingston  filed  deeds  under  the  name  of 
Livingston's  Landing,  and  the  new  name  was  used  for 
probably  thirty  years ;  but  the  old  name  would  not  down. 
In  1870,  a  calm,  deliberative  meeting  was  held  to  decide 
upon  a  new  name  for  the  village,  and  that  of  Paulding, 
one  of  the  captors  of  Andre,  was  almost  agreed  upon 


362 


The  World's  Greatest  Street 


when  a  gentleman  arose  and  made  a  speech  in  a  serious 
vein  to  the  following  effect.  He  said  he  was  no  worship- 
per of  Dobbs ;  he  disliked  that  his  home  should  be  identi- 
fied with  such  a  low  place  as  a  ferry;  double  names  es- 
pecially were  uncouth  and  undesirable ;  and  he  had  known 


From  a  photograph 

PHILIP  VAN  BRUGH  LIVINGSTON  HOUSE,  HEADQUARTERS  OF  WASHINGTON, 

DOBBS  FERRY 


Paulding  personally  and  could  not  brook  him.  Van 
Wart,  who  had  also  aided  in  the  capture  of  Andre,  was 
a  Christian  gentleman;  he,  therefore,  moved  that  in- 
stead of  calling  the  place  Paulding-on-Hudson,  that  the 
Van  of  Van  Wart  be  stricken  off  and  the  place  be  called 
"  Wart-on-Hudson. "  The  speech  gave  such  a  ridiculous 
turn  to  the  whole  affair  that  the  meeting  broke  up  and 
nothing  further  was  attempted  at  that  time.  The 
village  was  later  incorporated  under  the  name  of  the 
township,  Greenburgh ;  but  this  name  has  had  no  better 


The  Bronx  and  Lower  Westchester  County  363 

luck  in  supplanting  the  ancient  name  than  did  that  of 
Livingston's  Landing. 

On  Broadway  at  Dobbs  Ferry,  we  find  an  old  fash- 
ioned house  in  front  of  which  is  a  monument  bearing 
in  bold  letters  the  names  of  Washington  and  Rochambeau. 
This  is  the  Philip  Van  Brugh  Livingston  house,  though 
the  part  of  it  referred  to  in  the  legend  carved  upon  the 
stone  is  the  rear  part  of  the  house.  The  legend  states 
that  in  this  house  were  the  headquarters  of  Washington 
and  that  here  he  and  the  French  commander,  Rochambeau, 
planned  their  campaign  against  Yorktown,  and  that  from 
this  vicinity  the  allied  armies  took  up  the  march.  It 
states  further  that  in  1783,  the  British  commander-in- 
chief,  Sir  Guy  Carleton,  visited  Washington  under  a 
flag  of  truce  for  the  purpose  of  arranging  with  the  latter 
the  manner  and  date  of  the  British  evacuation  of  New 
York  City;  and  further,  that  it  was  from  this  house  that 
Washington,  Governor  Clinton,  and  the  escort  under 
General  Knox  took  up  the  march  down  the  post-road 
to  re-enter  the  city  of  New  York. 

The  Indians  located  in  this  neighborhood  were  the 
Weckquaesgeeks,  from  whom  Philipse  bought  the  land; 
in  consequence,  it  is  described  in  his  manor  grant  as 
the  Weckquaesgeek  tract.  There  is  a  good  deal  of 
Revolutionary  history  connected  with  Dobbs  Ferry, 
as  it  is  fairly  within  the  famous  "Neutral  Ground"  of 
the  great  struggle,  and  every  place  within  that  district 
was  subjected  to  the  raids  and  marauds  of  both  sides. 
After  the  Westchester  campaign  of  1776,  the  Americans 
established  a  line  of  posts  from  the  mouth  of  the  Croton 
River  eastward  to  the  Sound  to  prevent  the  British  from 
getting  into  the  Highlands.  The  enemy  established  a 
similar  line  of  posts  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  Harlem 
River,  extending  from  Kingsbridge  through  Fordham, 


364         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Morrisania,  Westchester,  Eastchester,  and  Pell's  Manor 
(Pelham).  In  the  summer  time,  these  were  extended  to 
Yonkers,  Valentine's  Hill,  and  New  Rochelle.  There  was 
thus  between  the  two  armies  a  tract  twenty  miles  wide 
which  was  not  in  the  possession  of  either — this  was  the 
Neutral  Ground.  The  Americans  were  commonly  known 
as  "the  upper  party"  and  the  British  as  "the  lower." 
In  addition  to  the  regular  troops  and  militia  of  both 
sides,  there  were  bands  of  land  pirates,  or  bushwhackers, 
who,  under  the  guise  of  patriotism  or  loyalty,  robbed, 
burned,  and  destroyed  with  great  impartiality,  tortur- 
ing, and  even  murdering,  anybody  out  of  whom  they 
thought  it  was  possible  to  extort  anything  in  the  way  of 
plunder.  These  predatory  bands  were  called  "Cow- 
boys" and  "Skinners";  the  former  being  the  British, 
who,  at  least,  did  their  work  under  some  semblance  of 
authorization,  the  latter  being  the  Americans,  who  did 
their  nefarious  work  without  the  semblance  of  consent, 
except  tacit,  on  the  part  of  the  officers  on  the  lines. 
These  marauders  could  change  their  politics  with  great 
rapidity  as  occasion  required.* 

Irvington  is  the  next  place  through  which  the  post- 
road  passes.  This  constituted  the  Bissightick  tract  of 
the  Philipsburgh  manor ;  but  its  name  is  due  to  Washing- 
ton Irving,  who  lived  here  until  his  death,  after  his  return 
from  his  embassy  to  Spain.  "Sunnyside  lane"  leads 
down  to  the  shore  of  the  Hudson  to  one  of  the  most 
famous  homes  in  America,  "Sunnyside,"  where  the  genial 
writer  entertained  his  friends,  who  constituted  all  that 
was  best  in  the  American  culture  of  the  period. 

In  an  interesting  letter  of  living's,  dated  Madrid, 
Oct.  18,  1842,  he  says: 

*  See  Cooper's  The  Spy. 


366         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


You  ask  me  about  my  own  movements;  for  many  years 
I  have  made  none,  having  built  for  myself  a  snug  cottage 
near  Sleepy  Hollow,  on  the  banks  of  the  Hudson,  which  I 
stocked  with  young  nieces,  like  a  dove-cote,  and  lived  there 
the  happiest  of  old  bachelors.  ...  In  an  evil  hour,  how- 
ever, the  Government  having  got  information,  somehow  or 
other,  that  I  had  wonderful  talents  for  diplomacy,  though  in 
a  latent  state,  threw  the  bait  of  an  embassy  at  Madrid,  like 
a  gilded  fiy,  into  my  quiet  retreat,  and  drew  me  out  like  a 
trout. 

Irving  has  entwined  many  legends  about  the  old 
stone  house  with  its  irregular  formation  and  high  gables, 
"as  full  of  angles  and  corners  as  an  old  cocked  hat.  It 
is  said,  in  fact,  to  have  been  modelled  after  the  cocked 
hat  of  Peter  the  Headstrong,  as  the  Escorial  was  modelled 
after  the  gridiron  of  the  blessed  Saint  Lawrence."  It 
was  built,  Irving  states,  by  Wolfert  Acker,  a  privy  coun- 
cillor of  Peter  Stuyvesant,  "a  worthy,  but  ill-starred 
man,  whose  aim  through  life  had  been  to  live  in  peace 
and  quiet."  He  sadly  failed;  for  "it  was  his  doom,  in 
fact,  to  meet  a  head  wind  at  every  turn,  and  to  be  kept 
in  a  constant  fume  and  fret  by  the  perverseness  of  man- 
kind. Had  he  served  on  a  modern  jury,  he  would  have 
been  sure  to  have  eleven  unreasonable  men  opposed  to 
him."  He  retired  in  disgust  to  this  place,  which  was 
then  a  wilderness,  built  the  gabled  house  and  "inscribed 
over  the  door  (his  teeth  clenched  at  the  time)  his  favorite 
Dutch  motto,  'Lust  in  Rust'  (pleasure  in  quiet).  The 
mansion  was  thence  called  Wolfert's  Rust  (Wolfert's 
Rest),  but  by  the  uneducated,  who  did  not  understand 
Dutch,  Wolfert's  Roost." 

Later,  the  chronicler  goes  on  to  say,  the  farm  came 
into  possession  of  Jacob  Van  Tassel,  a  valiant  Dutchman 
who  espoused  the  cause  of  the  patriots.    Of  his  exploits 


368         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


with  his  famous  goosegun,  you  may  read  in  the  Sketch 
Book.  The  old  house  was  the  domicile  of  the  blooming 
Katrina  Van  Tassel,  beloved  by  the  Yankee  pedagogue, 
Ichabod  Crane,  and  by  the  blustering,  swaggering  Brom 
Bones.  It  was  from  here  that  the  unfortunate  Ichabod, 
stuffed  full  of  Dutch  dainties  and  ghost  stories,  began 
that  wonderful  ride  along  Broadway  in  which  he  was 
to  meet  the  Headless  Horseman  and  forever  disappear 
from  the  ken  of  men — all  of  which  you  may  read  in  A 
Legend  of  Sleepy  Hollow* 

Besides  Irving,  Westchester  County  along  the  Hudson 
has  been  the  home  at  various  times  of  many  men  and 
women  who  have  been  more  or  less  connected  with  lit- 
erature, who  found  inspiration  in  the  beautiful  hills  or 
from  the  lordly  river.  Among  those  resident  at  Yonkers 
were  William  Allen  Butler,  the  distinguished  lawyer 
and  author  of  Nothing  to  Wear,  in  which  he  pictures  the 
distress  of  "Flora  McFlimsey  of  Madison  Square";  Dr. 
Dio  Lewis,  the  famous  physician  and  physical  culturist; 
Mrs.  E.  D.  E.  N.  Southworth,  whose  romantic  novels 
were  the  "thrillers"  of  a  certain  portion  of  our  reading 
public  a  generation  ago,  and  Melville  D.  Landon,  the 
humorist,  who  is  best  known  under  his  pseudonym  of 
"Eli  Perkins,"  and  whose  death  at  Yonkers  was  noticed 
in  the  press  of  December  17,  19 10.  Another  name  con- 
nected with  Yonkers  is  that  of  Frederick  W.  Cozzens, 
a  retired  wine  merchant,  who  gave  no  indication  of  his 
literary  ability  until  he  had  reached  the  half-century 
mark.  He  was  the  author  of  the  ' '  Sparrow  Grass  Papers, ' ' 
published  in  Putnam's  Monthly,  and  became  famous  as  a 
humorist.  Perhaps  there  is  something  in  the  air  of 
Yonkers  that  creates  humor,  for  one  of  the  most  popular 

*  See  the  part  of  this  volume  describing  Kinderhook  for  the  originals  of 
these  characters. 


The  Bronx  and  Lower  Westchester  County  369 

of  living  humorists,  John  Kendrick  Bangs,  is  also  a 
resident  of  the  place.  He  once  ran  for  mayor,  but  was 
on  the  wrong  side,  the  Democratic,  and  so  suffered  defeat ; 
though  the  story  he  got  out  of  his  experience  probably 
paid  him  better  than  the  office  would  have  done.  Ad- 
miral David  Glasgow  Farragut,  though  not  an  author, 
succeeded  very  well  in  writing  his  name  upon  the  scroll 
of  fame ;  he  was  a  resident  of  Hastings  at  one  time.  John 
William  Draper,  M.D.,  LL.D.,  the  eminent  chemist  and 
physiologist  and  the  writer  of  many  books  and  treatises 
on  these  subjects,  lived  at  Irvington  before  his  death  there 
in  1886. 

Jay  Gould,  the  famous  financier,  was  a  resident  of 
Tarrytown.  We  do  not  think  of  him  as  being  a  writer, 
yet  in  his  younger  days  he  was  the  author  of  a  very  good 
history  of  Delaware  County.  The  upper  part  of  the 
township  of  Mt.  Pleasant,  now  called  North  Tarrytown, 
was  especially  favored  by  writers,  among  whom  was 
General  James  Watson  Webb,  the  veteran  editor  and 
journalist,  whose  house  was  at  one  time  occupied  by 
General  John  C.  Fremont,  the  famous  "Pathfinder" 
and  the  first  candidate  of  the  Republican  party  for  the 
presidency.  Another  resident  was  Alexander  Slidell 
McKenzie,  the  distinguished  naval  officer  and  author 
of  lives  of  Paul  Jones,  Oliver  H.  Perry,  and  Stephen 
Decatur,  as  well  as  of  other  works.  General  Adam 
Badeau,  author  of  The  History  of  General  U.  S.  Grant 
and  Aristocracy  in  England,  passed  most  of  his  boyhood 
here  and  was  a  resident  until  1856;  Commodore  Matthew 
Calbraith  Perry,  who  opened  the  ports  of  Japan  to 
outside  commerce,  was  a  literary  man  in  so  far  that  he 
furnished  the  data  for  a  history  of  his  famous  expedition  ; 
A.  C.  Wheeler  ("Nym  Crinkle"),  the  poet  and  critic, 
also  spent  his  boyhood  here,  and  Hamilton  W.  Mabie, 


370  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


critic  and  essayist,  lived  for  some  time  in  North  Tarry- 
town.  Edward  March  Blunt,  the  distinguished  navi- 
gator and  author  of  Blunt 's  Coast  Pilot,  now  continued 
by  the  United  States  Hydrographic  Office,  was  a  resident 
of  Sing  Sing;  and  Henry  Ward  Beecher  spent  his  summers 
at  his  country -place,  "Boscobel, "  at  Peekskill.  Albert 
Bierstadt,  the  famous  artist  of  a  generation  or  more  ago, 


had  his  home  on  the  heights  at  Dobbs  Ferry  in  a  fine 
castellated  mansion,  which  was  destroyed  by  fire. 

Our  route  along  Broadway  passes  the  mansions  and 
estates  of  wealthy  residents  who  thus  far  have  succeeded 
in  keeping  the  trolley  cars  from  the  historic  highway, 
the  last  effort  in  that  direction  being  in  opposition  to  a 
bill  before  the  Legislature  of  1 910.  To  mention  these 
owners  would  be  to  give  a  list  of  the  greatest  and  best 
in  the  business,  political,  literary,  and  professional  life 
of  New  York  for  several  generations.  The  grounds 
are  beautifully  kept,  and  the  houses  are  homes  of  comfort 
and  refinement.    There  is  one  at  which  we  must  stop 


LYNDEHURST,  HOME  OF  MISS  HELEN  M.  GOULD 


The  Bronx  and  Lower  Westchester  County  371 

before  entering  the  village  of  Tarrytown.  It  belongs 
at  present  to  Miss  Helen  Miller  Gould,  whose  patriotism 
was  shown  during  the  Spanish  War  and  since  by  many 
acts  of  kindness  for  the  benefit  of  the  soldiers  and  sailors 
of  the  United  States.  The  estate  is  called  Lyndehurst, 
and  was  originally  the  home  of  Philip  R.  Paulding. 
While  Philip  Hone  was  driving  through  this  section  in 
1 84 1,  he  seems  to  have  been  impressed  by  the  extrava- 
gance of  the  owner  of  "Paulding  Manor,"  as  the  prop- 
erty was  called  when  built  in  1 840 ;  for  he  calls  it  derisively 
"Paulding's  Folly."  In  my  boyhood  days  the  estate 
was  the  property  of  a  gentleman  named  Merritt  and  was 
called  "Merritt's  Folly,"  as  the  owner  was  deeply  in- 
terested in  horticulture  and  expended,  so  it  is  stated, 
over  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  in  the  magnificent 
conservatories  and  greenhouses  which  still  adorn  the 
place,  and  to  which  Miss  Gould  kindly  allows  the  public 
access  on  all  days  except  Sundays.  The  property  came 
into  the  possession  of  the  late  Jay  Gould  as  a  summer 
home,  and  at  his  death  descended  to  his  daughter.  Be- 
sides the  collections  of  ordinary  plants  from  all  the  zones, 
there  is  here  located  what  was  for  a  long  time  the  finest 
collection  of  orchids  in  the  country. 

The  name  Tarrytown  awakens  thoughts  of  romantic 
and  historic  interest,  for  so  many  legends  are  attached 
to  the  locality.  Once  the  scene  of  Revolutionary  struggle 
and  of  easy  Dutch  life,  it  now  contains  the  palatial 
homes  of  Standard  Oil  magnates  and  representatives 
of  our  modern  industrial  life  and  activities.  The  name 
Tarrytown  is,  itself,  illusive.  No  one  knows  positively 
where  it  came  from — probably  from  two  brothers  named 
Terry  who  were  early  settlers,  though  it  is  also  said  it 
came  from  "tarwe,"  meaning  wheat.  But  Irving,  with 
that  gentle  humor  which  has  accounted  for  so  many 


372         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


things  in  this  valley  of  the  Hudson  which  he  so  dearly 
loved,  says  that  the  village  received  its  name  from  the 
fact  that  on  sloop  days  the  farmers  of  the  neighborhood 
used  to  bring  their  produce  to  be  shipped  to  New  York, 
after  which  they  tarried  so  long  at  the  taverns  that  their 
wives  called  the  place  7arrytown.  So,  for  want  of  a 
better  reason,  we  are  obliged  to  accept  living's. 

The  Indians  had  one  of  their  villages  here  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Pocantico,  which  they  called  Alipconck, 
or  the  "place  of  elms."  They  sold  to  Frederick  Philip se 
in  1 68 1,  and  it  is  described  in  his  manor  grant  as  the 
Pocantico  tract;  but  in  colonial  days  it  was  known  as 
"  Philipse's. "  The  property  descended  to  the  first 
manor-lord's  second  son  Adolphus;  but  as  Adolphus 
was  unmarried  the  Upper  Yonkers  went  at  his  death 
to  his  nephew  Frederick,  the  second  manor-lord.  Many 
affrays  took  place  between  the  contending  armies  during 
the  Revolution,  one  of  which  is  marked  by  a  bronze 
tablet  on  the  railroad  station;  and  the  locality  was  occu- 
pied alternately  by  the  troops  of  both  sides;  but  the 
ancient  earthworks  have  disappeared  under  modern 
improvements.  On  Mount  de  la  Salle  the  Brothers  of 
the  Christian  Schools  have  St.  Joseph's  Normal  College 
for  the  training  of  teachers  for  the  Catholic  schools; 
and  distributed  along  the  hills  are  many  private  schools 
and  military  academies  of  the  first  class  for  both  sexes. 

On  the  west  side  of  the  road,  after  we  have  passed 
the  trolley  line  coming  from  White  Plains,  is  a  modest 
edifice,  Christ  Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  upon  the 
front  of  which  is  a  tablet  conveying  the  information  that 
Washington  Irving  was  for  many  years  a  communicant 
and  warden  of  this  church,  and  that  "he  fell  asleep  in 
Jesus,  November  28,  1859." 


CHAPTER  XV 


UPPER  WESTCHESTER  COUNTY 

FEW  rods  beyond  Christ  Church 
we  come  upon  a  monument  on  the 
west  side  of  the  road  which  com- 
memorates the  patriotism  of  three 
sturdy  yeomen  and  marks  the  spot 
of  the  beginning  of  one  of  the  sad 
tragedies  of  the  Revolution.  The 
monument  is  of  native  marble 
and  is  surmounted  by  the  bronze  figure  of  a  minute- 
man,  resting  upon  his  long  rifle  and  looking  with  attention 
up  the  road  as  if  watching  the  approach  of  a  traveller. 
There  is  a  bronze  bas-relief  on  the  base  depicting  the 
scene  that  the  monument  commemorates  and  several 
inscriptions  on  the  sides.  The  one  most  interesting 
to  visitors  is  that  which  reads : 

On  this  Spot 
the  22nd  day  of  September,  1780,  the  Spy, 
Major  John  Andre, 
Adjutant  General  of  the  British  Army,  was  cap- 
tured by 

John  Paulding,  David  Williams  and  Isaac  Van  Wart, 
all  natives  of  this  County. 
History  has  told  the  rest. 
373 


374         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


On  the  north  side  of  the  pedestal  is  another  inscrip- 
tion: "Their  conduct  merits  our  warmest  esteem.  They 


htom  a  photograph  by  F.  Ahrens 


MONUMENT  TO  THE  CAPTORS  OF  ANDRE 

have  prevented  in  all  probability  our  suffering  one  of  the 
severest  strokes  that  could  have  been  meditated  against 
us. " — Washington. 

The  monument  was  erected  by  the  people  of  West- 
chester County  and  dedicated  October  7,  1853,  and  was 


Upper  Westchester  County  375 


remodelled  as  it  now  stands  in  1880,  the  statue  being 
given  by  one  of  the  patriotic  citizens  of  Tarrytown.  At 
these  latter  ceremonies  ex-Governor  Samuel  J.  Tilden 
presided,  a  prayer  was  offered  by  the  Reverend  Alexander 
Van  Wart,  the  only  surviving  son  of  the  captor,  and  the 
oration  was  delivered  by  Chauncey  M.  Depew. 

Let  us  see  briefly  what  history  has  told.  A  party 
of  young  men  came  down  from  the  upper  county  on  a 
scout  during  the  night  of  the  twenty-first,  hoping  to 
intercept  some  marauders  on  their  way  to  the  British 
lines.  Three  of  them,  the  captors  mentioned  on  the 
monument,  kept  on  to  the  post-road,  the  rest  of  them 
remaining  on  the  Bedford  Road,  which  comes  into 
Broadway  a  few  rods  above  the  monument.  How  this 
party  on  the  Bedford  Road  failed  to  see  and  to  stop 
Andre  is  a  mystery.  Upon  reaching  the  post-road,  two 
of  the  men  began  to  play  cards  beside  the  bank  of  a  small 
brook  which  here  crosses  the  road,  while  the  third  took 
his  post  on  the  highway.  The  two  playing  cards  were 
well  screened  by  the  bushes.  They  took  turns  acting 
as  picket,  and  during  the  course  of  the  morning  there 
passed  several  persons  whom  they  knew.  A  little  before 
nine  o'clock  in  the  morning  the  tramp  of  a  horse's  feet 
was  heard,  and  the  two  men  in  the  bushes  called  to 
Paulding,  who  was  on  guard:  "Here  comes  a  gentleman 
on  horseback.  He  has  his  boots  on.  You 'd  better 
stop  him."  As  a  key  to  what  happened,  it  may  be 
stated  that  Paulding  had  escaped  from  the  New  York 
prisons  in  the  week  preceding  the  capture,  and  that  while 
there  his  coat  had  been  taken  by  a  German  yager,  who 
had  given  in  exchange  his  own  old  green  coat — the 
wearer  was,  therefore,  in  appearance  one  of  the  German 
mercenaries. 

At  the  approach  of  the  mounted  gentleman  Paulding 


376  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


presented  his  firelock  and  commanded  him  to  stop. 
The  horseman  looked  Paulding  over  for  a  moment,  and 
probably  supposing  from  the  green  yager  coat  that  this 
was  the  British  picket  of  whose  presence  on  the  Tarry- 
town  Road  he  had  been  apprised,  said:  "God  bless  you, 
my  lads,  I  hope  you  belong  to  our  party."  "Which 
party?"  was  asked.  Without  hesitation  the  gentleman 
replied:  "Why!  the  lower  party.  I  am  a  British  officer; 
I  have  been  up  the  country  on  important  business  and 
do  not  wish  to  be  detained";  and  pulled  out  his  gold 
watch  and  showed  it  to  them  in  order  to  convince  them 
of  the  truth  of  his  statement.  Whereupon  they  replied: 
"We  do  not  belong  to  the  lower  party;  we  are  Americans; 
you  are  our  prisoner."  His  face  changed  somewhat 
at  this;  but  after  he  had  dismounted,  he  came  forward 
with  a  smile  and  said :  ' '  God  bless  my  soul !  A  man  must 
do  anything  these  times  to  get  along.  Here  is  a  pass 
from  General  Arnold.  I  am  on  his  business ;  and  if  you 
detain  me,  he  will  be  angry."  The  pass  was  presented 
and  was  given  to  Paulding,  the  only  one  of  the  trio  who 
could  read.    This  is  the  pass: 

Head  Quarters  Robinson's  House,  Septr.  22nd,  1780. 
Permit  Mr.  John  Anderson  to  pass  the  Guards  to  the  White 
Plains,  or  below,  if  He  Chuses,  He  being  on  Public  Buisness 
by  my  Direction. 

B.  Arnold,  M.  Genl. 

The  pass  appeared  to  be  all  right,  and  the  yeomen 
were  in  doubt  as  to  what  they  should  do;  when  one  of 
them  said:  "Let  us  take  him  into  the  bushes  and  search 
him."  Their  search  revealed  no  weapon  and  no  money, 
except  some  Continental  bills.  They  then  made  him 
remove  his  boots,  and  there  appeared  a  lump  in  one  of 
his  silk  stockings;  they  made  him  remove  the  stocking 


Upper  Westchester  County  377 


and  found  three  papers;  then  the  other  stocking  was 
removed  and  three  more  papers  were  disclosed.  Paulding 
saw  that  they  were  reports  on  army  matters  and  ex- 
plained to  the  others.  "My  God!"  they  exclaimed,  "he 
is  a  spy. " 

They  then  asked  him  what  he  would  give  them  to 
let  him  go.  He  made  several  offers  of  merchandise,  of 
his  horse  and  watch  and  of  money  up  to  five  hundred 
guineas;  but  they  refused,  and  ordering  him  to  mount, 
said  they  would  take  him  to  the  nearest  American  out- 
post, which  was  at  Sands'  Mills  above  White  Plains 
(the  present  Armonk).  They  testified  that  his  face 
became  very  serious,  and  that  during  the  whole  journey 
drops  of  perspiration  streamed  down  his  face.  Asked 
if  he  would  escape  if  he  had  the  chance,  he  said  he  would; 
whereupon  they  said  grimly:  "We  '11  see  that  you  don't 
get  the  chance";  and  he  made  no  attempt. 

Arrived  at  Sands'  Mills,  they  turned  their  captive 
and  his  papers  over  to  Lieutenant-Colonel  Jamieson  of 
Sheldon's  Dragoons,  whose  lack  of  judgment  under  the 
circumstances  was  little  short  of  criminal ;  for  he  imme- 
diately wrote  a  note  to  Arnold  apprising  him  of  the  cap- 
ture of  Mr.  Anderson,  in  whose  possession  had  been  found 
some  papers  of  a  very  compromising  tendency  which 
the  writer  had  sent  on  to  the  Commander-in-Chief,  then 
conferring  with  the  French  officers  at  Hartford,  Connecti- 
cut. At  the  same  time  that  the  note  was  sent,  Anderson 
was  also  sent  with  an  escort  to  Arnold's  headquarters. 
In  the  evening  Major  Tallmadge  arrived  from  duty  at 
the  White  Plains,  and  upon  being  informed  of  the  capture 
and  of  the  appearance  of  the  prisoner,  at  once  came  to 
the  conclusion  that  he  was  a  person  of  some  importance 
and  that  Arnold  was  in  the  scheme,  whatever  it  was. 
He  at  last  prevailed  upon  Jamieson  to  recall  the  prisoner, 


378  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


but  could  not  persuade  his  superior  to  recall  the  note  to 
Arnold.  In  consequence,  the  note  reached  Arnold  while 
he  was  at  breakfast  with  Hamilton,  Lafayette,  and  others 
who  had  preceded  the  Chief  on  his  return  from  Hartford. 
This  gave  Arnold  the  news  of  the  capture  of  his  agent, 
and,  excusing  himself  on  the  plea  of  going  across  the 
river  to  West  Point  to  meet  Washington,  he  took  a 
hurried  farewell  of  his  wife  and  infant  child,  rode  to  the 
boat  landing,  entered  his  barge  and  was  rowed  down 
the  river  to  the  British  sloop-of-war  Vulture,  which  had 
brought  Andre  up  the  river  and  which  was  awaiting  his 
return.  Arnold  used  his  handkerchief  as  a  flag  of  truce, 
went  on  board  the  vessel  and  disclosed  his  identity; 
upon  which  the  Vulture  returned  with  all  speed  to  New 
York  to  let  Sir  Henry  Clinton  know  of  the  capture  of 
his  beloved  aid.  Though  the  captain  of  the  vessel  was 
unwilling  to  do  so,  Arnold  insisted  upon  having  his 
boat's  crew  taken  prisoners,  and  they  were  taken  to 
New  York  with  him,  Clinton  setting  them  at  liberty 
immediately. 

The  prisoner  was  brought  back  to  Sands'  Mills  in  a 
very  dejected  state  of  mind,  as  the  express  sent  after  the 
party  had  overtaken  it  at  Peekskill,  almost  in  sight  of 
safety.  Tallmadge  now  took  charge  of  the  prisoner, 
and  with  a  large  escort  carried  him  farther  within  the 
county,  as  it  was  feared  that  an  attempt  at  rescue  would 
be  made.  While  stopping  in  Sheldon's  quarters  in 
North  Salem  for  orders,  the  captive  asked  for  paper 
and  ink  and  wrote  a  letter  to  Washington,  disclosing 
his  identity  and  telling  how  he  came  to  be  within  the  lines 
in  disguise.  Washington  at  once  ordered  a  court- 
martial  composed  of  eleven  of  the  highest  officers  in  the 
army,  presided  over  by  Nathanael  Greene,  who  was 
famous  for  his  kindness  of  heart.    Upon  Andrews  own 


379 


380         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


admissions  before  the  court  and  his  letter  to  Washington, 
he  was  adjudged  a  spy  and  amenable  to  the  law  of  nations. 
He  was  hanged  at  Tappan  on  October  second  in  the 
presence  of  the  whole  army,  hardly  a  man  of  which 


UPPER  MILLS  OF  FREDERICK   PHILIPSE   (1682),   NORTH  TARRYTOWN 


could  refrain  from  tears  at  the  sight  of  the  ignominious 
death  of  the  handsome,  brilliant,  and  engaging  young 
fellow.  From  the  time  of  his  capture  until  the  time  of 
his  death,  he  was  treated  with  the  greatest  consideration 
and  sympathy;  and  unofficially  an  attempt  was  made  to 
exchange  him  for  Arnold,  which,  of  course,  Clinton  would 
not  and  could  not  do. 

A  short  distance  above  the  monument  the  road  de- 
scends a  steep  hill  and  crosses  the  Pocantico,  a  pretty 


Upper  Westchester  County  381 


stream  which  comes  down  from  the  Westchester  Hills. 
The  post-road  passed  originally  along  the  hill,  crossing 
the  Pocantico  east  of  the  church;  but  the  building  of 
the  first  Croton  aqueduct  between  1835  and  1840  caused 
the  change  in  the  road  to  its  present  location.  The  old 
bridge  over  which  Ichabod  Crane  swept  in  his  mad 
flight  from  the  Headless  Horseman  was  a  short  distance 
up  the  stream  from  the  present  crossing.  Below  the 
bridge  are  the  "upper  mills"  of  the  Philipses,  which  date 
from  1682.  Here,  also,  is  an  ancient  stone  house,  part 
of  which  dates  from  the  same  period;  for  Philipse  owned 
this  land  long  before  he  received  his  manor  patent  and 
did  considerable  trading  with  the  Indians,  whose  village 
of  Alipconck  was  near  the  mouth  of  the  stream.  The 
older  part  of  the  house  is  of  great  strength,  and  is  loop- 
holed  for  defence.  The  old  mill-pond  can  still  be  plainly 
seen,  though  the  dam  is  broken;  but  the  ancient  mill 
was  fast  going  to  decay  the  last  time  I  was  there.  It 
had  stood  the  stress  of  more  than  two  centuries  of  use, 
but  could  not  stand  a  half  century  of  non-use.  The 
first  manor-lord  was  a  carpenter  by  trade,  and  the  old 
mill  showed  his  ability  to  construct  a  serviceable  build- 
ing; the  beams,  studding,  and  rafters  are  all  hewed 
timbers,  put  together  with  wooden  trenails.  The  old 
trading  house  was  known  as  "Philipse's  castle."  After 
the  confiscation  of  the  manor,  the  property  was  sold  to 
Gerard  G.  Beekman,  and  later  passed  into  the  hands  of 
Ambrose  C.  Kingsland,  a  wealthy  grocer  of  New  York 
and  Mayor  in  1851,  being  elected  against  Fernando 
Wood.  Later,  the  property  belonged  to  one  of  the  old- 
time  great  merchants  of  New  York,  William  H.  Aspin- 
wall,  who  was  interested  in  the  building  of  the  railway 
across  the  Isthmus  of  Panama,  connecting  Panama  and 
Colon,  the  latter  of  which  was  renamed  Aspinwall  in 


382  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


honor  of  the  railroad  builder.  The  property  has  been 
in  the  possession  of  one  of  the  great  automobile  companies 
for  several  years,  whose  extensive  works  are  situated 
near  the  end  of  the  point. 

Opposite  the  Kingsland  Point  property  and  just 
north  of  the  bridge,  is  the  oldest  church  edifice  in  the 
State  of  New  York,  the  famous  Sleepy  Hollow  Church. 
When  it  was  built  is  not  known,  though  a  tablet  on  the 


ill  BUI  Muli^^djtfjflfi^fc 

Tin  _ 


PHILIPSE  S  CASTLE,  TARRYTOWN 

side  of  the  door  states:  "Erected  and  built  by  Frederic 
Philipse  and  Catherine  Van  Cortlandt,  his  wife,  in  1699." 
The  church  edifice  was  remodelled  in  1837,  and  it  is 
likely  that  the  tablet  was  placed  at  that  time  when  the 
entrance  and  other  parts  of  the  church  were  changed 
about,  and  that  a  guess  was  made  at  the  date.  The 
original  bell  still  hangs  in  the  belfry  and  bears  the  date 
1685,  and  the  motto  in  Latin:  "Si  deus  pro  nobis  quis 
contra  nos?  "  (If  God  be  with  us,  who  can  be  against  us?) 
The  weather  vane  on  the  belfry  bears  the  monogram 
"VF, "  standing  for  the  Dutch  spelling  of  the  manor- 


Upper  Westchester  County  383 


lord's  name,  Vredryk  Flypsen.  The  weight  of  evidence 
is  that  the  edifice  was  erected  not  later  than  the  date  on 
the  bell,  1685;  and  that  in  all  probability  it  was  erected 
several  years  earlier. 

This  section  was  settled  very  early  by  the  Dutch,  as 


SLEEPY  HOLLOW  CHURCH  AT  NORTH  TARRYTOWN 


is  shown  by  the  fact  that  one  of  the  reasons  given  by 
De  Vries  to  Kieft  in  1641  for  not  making  war  on  the 
Weckquaesgeeks  was  that  there  were  so  many  settlers 
in  this  neighborhood  whose  cattle  ran  on  the  hills  and 
who  would  be  in  danger  in  the  event  of  war.  Upon 
several  occasions  it  has  been  necessary  to  remove  the 
floor  of  the  church  for  repairs,  and  several  coffins  have 
been  exposed  bearing  dates  between  1650  and  1660.  The 
first  known  preacher  was  Dominie  Guillaume  Bartholf 


384 


The  World's  Greatest  Street 


who  came  here  several  times  a  year  from  Hackensack, 
beginning  in  1697.  The  church  records  date  from  the 
same  year,  but  they  were  not  regularly  kept  until  171 5. 
Dutch  was  the  language  used  in  the  services  and 
records  until  after  the  Revolution,  and  the  first  use 
of  English  in  baptizing  a  little  girl  on  September  25, 
1785,  raised  a  storm  of  indignation.  The  Reformed 
Dutch  Church  held,  in  1899,  a  bi-centenary  celebra- 
tion here,  at  which  Governor  Theodore  Roosevelt  was 
present. 

Adjoining  the  church  edifice,  is  the  famous  Sleepy 
Hollow  Cemetery,  in  which  are  a  number  of  old  Dutch 
burials ;  though  the  larger  part  of  the  cemetery  is  modern 
and  owned  by  a  company  incorporated  in  1849  under 
the  name  of  The  Tarrytown  Cemetery,  but  changed  later 
at  the  earnest  solicitation  of  Washington  Irving,  before 
his  death  in  1859,  to  The  Sleepy  Hollow  Cemetery.  Many 
old  tombstones  can  be  deciphered,  but  the  first  object 
every  visitor  has  in  view  is  the  grave  wherein  lies  all 
that  is  mortal  of  the  genial  humorist  and  kindly  gentle- 
man who  has  peopled  the  valley  of  the  Hudson  with  the 
children  of  his  imagination — Washington  Irving.  On 
Battle  Hill,  is  a  monument  to  the  Revolutionary  soldiers 
of  the  vicinity,  and  among  the  graves  will  be  found  many 
belonging  to  soldiers  of  the  Civil  War. 

As  we  leave  the  last  resting-place  of  the  genial  writer, 
so  loved  by  his  own  generation,  there  recur  to  our  minds 
the  delightful  lines  of  Lowell — the  only  lines  in  A  Fable 
for  Critics  which  do  not  contain  a  sting : 

What!  Irving?  thrice  welcome,  warm  heart  and  fine  brain, 
You  bring  back  the  happiest  spirit  from  Spain, 
And  the  gravest  sweet  humor  that  ever  were  there 
Since  Cervantes  met  death  in  his  gentle  despair; 


Upper  Westchester  County  385 


Nay,  don't  be  embarrassed,  nor  look  so  beseeching, 

I  sha'n't  run  directly  against  my  own  preaching, 

And,  having  just  laughed  at  their  Raphaels  and  Dantes, 

Go  to  setting  you  up  beside  matchless  Cervantes; 

But  allow  me  to  speak  what  I  honestly  feel, — 

To  a  true  poet-heart  add  the  fun  of  Dick  Steele, 

Throw  in  all  of  Addison,  minus  the  chill, 

With  the  whole  of  that  partnership's  stock  and  good- will, 

Mix  well,  and  while  stirring,  hum  o'er  as  a  spell, 

The  fine  old  English  gentleman,  simmer  it  well, 

Sweeten  just  to  your  own  private  liking,  then  strain, 

That  only  the  finest  and  clearest  remain, 

Let  it  stand  out  of  doors  till  a  soul  it  receives 

From  the  warm  lazy  sun  loitering  down  through  green  leaves, 

And  you  '11  find  a  choice  nature,  not  wholly  deserving 

A  name  either  English  or  Yankee, — just  Irving. 

Continuing  our  route  over  the  post-road,  we  pass 
under  the  arch  of  the  Croton  aqueduct  and  through  the 
residential  village  of  Scarborough.  A  fine  church  of 
native  marble  has  been  erected  here  as  a  memorial  of 
the  late  Elliott  F.  Shepard,  a  son-in-law  of  William  H. 
Vanderbilt  and  proprietor  of  the  New  York  Mail  and 
Express,  who  had  an  extensive  estate  in  this  vicinity. 
To  the  west,  on  the  river  bank,  is  the  little  village  of 
Sparta,  whose  ancient  burial-ground  still  exists.  There 
is  a  tradition  that  the  Vulture  mistook  the  gravestones 
for  an  American  fortification  and  fired  upon  them  on 
that  memorable  morning  in  September,  1780,  when 
Arnold  and  Andre  were  in  consultation  at  the  house  of 
Joshua  Hett  Smith  on  Treason  Hill  at  Haverstraw. 
Sparta  is  also  the  birthplace  of  Rear-Admiral  John  L. 
Worden  of  the  United  States  Navy,  who,  as  a  lieutenant, 
commanded  the  Monitor  in  her  historic  fight  with  the 
Merrimac  in  Hampton  Roads — a  fight  that  revolu- 

2S 


386  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


tionized    naval   architecture   in   its  relation  to  war 

vessels. 

We  pass  into  the  township  of  Ossining,  which  we  find 
to  be  a  very  hilly  place.  It  was  occupied  in  the  early 
days  by  the  Sint  Sinck  Indians,  and  the  brook  coming 
down  from  the  high  hills  was  known  as  the  Sint  Sinck 
kill.  When  the  Dutch  and  the  English  settled  in  this 
locality  after  Frederick  Philipse  bought  it  in  1680,  they 
very  naturally  took  the  name  of  the  brook,  and  the  place 
became,  in  time,  Sing  Sing.  The  Indian  village  was 
called  by  the  aborigines  Ossining,  which,  according  to 
Schoolcraft,  means  "the  stony  place";  and  that  applies 
very  well  indeed  to  this  section.  Dolomite  limestone 
of  excellent  quality  is  found  here  which  can  be  used  for 
building  purposes  or  which  can  be  burnt  for  lime.  In 
pre-Revolutionary  days,  a  silver  mine  was  worked  here, 
and  in  1820,  a  copper  mine  was  operated  near  the  village 
of  Sparta;  but  neither  has  paid,  though  several  attempts 
have  been  made  at  various  times  to  open  up  the  old 
shafts. 

In  1824,  the  Legislature  authorized  the  construction 
of  a  prison  in  one  of  the  lower  Senatorial  districts,  and 
this  spot  was  selected  on  account  of  its  healthfulness, 
its  accessibility  to  New  York  and  above  by  the  river 
boats,  and  to  the  limestone  mentioned  above.  In  1825, 
one  hundred  convicts  were  brought  here,  and  the  work 
of  building  the  prisons  begun ;  they  were  ready  for  occu- 
pancy in  1828,  and  the  convicts  were  removed  from  the 
old  Newgate  in  Greenwich  Village  in  New  York  City. 
All  the  work  in  and  about  the  prison  since  that  time  has 
been  done  by  the  prisoners;  and  most  of  it  has  been 
excellent,  as  there  have  been  among  the  inmates,  artists, 
sculptors,  and  skilled  workers  in  wood,  stone,  iron,  and 
plaster.    The  prison  is  known  officially  as  the  Mount 


Upper  Westchester  County  387 


Pleasant  Prison,  as  this  section  used  to  be  in  that  town- 
ship. For  two  or  three  years  past,  gangs  of  convicts 
have  been  clearing  the  land  for  new  prisons  on  the  west 
side  of  the  Hudson,  which  work  was  halted  in  January, 
1910,  by  the  gift  of  Mrs.  E.  H.  Harriman,  the  widow 
of  the  great  railway  magnate,  and  of  others,  which  makes 
a  great  State  public  park  possible  in  the  section  which 
includes  that  chosen  for  the  new  prison.  Another  site, 
therefore,  was  selected. 

In  June,  1910,  the  State  bought  a  five-hundred-acre 
farm  at  Wingdale  in  Putnam  County,  paying  for  it  the 
sum  of  fifty  thousand  dollars,  which  was  considered  a 
bargain  price.  The  farm  was  sold  several  months  before 
for  seventeen  thousand  dollars,  and  bought  up  by  specu- 
lators for  twenty-five  thousand  and  sold  at  the  above 
price  to  the  State.    Oh,  yes ;  the  State  got  a  bargain ! 

Until  1900,  the  principal  village  of  the  township 
bore  the  name  of  Sing  Sing;  but  the  associations  with 
the  name  of  the  prison  rather  hindered  the  growth  of 
the  village,  and  so  its  name  was  changed  to  that  of  the 
town,  Ossining. 

Three  miles  of  rough,  hilly  roadway  bring  us  to  the 
Croton  River,  the  northern  boundary  of  the  Manor  of 
Philipsburgh.  The  Indian  name  of  the  stream  was  the 
Kitchawan,  and  the  Indians  of  this  locality  were  known 
as  the  Kitchiwonks.  The  old  road  crossed  the  Croton 
at  a  ford  farther  up  the  stream;  later,  came  a  ferry,  and, 
in  1 791,  the  bridge  mentioned  in  Washington's  diary. 
Theodore  Dwight,  travelling  through  this  section  on 
horseback  in  181 1,  speaks  of  the  roads  as  being  bad, 
and  states  that  he  crossed  the  Croton  near  its  mouth 
on  a  wretched  ferry,  worked  by  a  woman,  the  ferry-boat 
being  connected  with  each  bank  of  the  stream  by  a  chain. 
A  long  bridge  now  crosses  the  stream  not  far  from  its 


388  The  World's  Greatest  Street 

mouth;  and  about  a  mile  above  it  is  the  great  new  dam 
which  impounds  the  waters  of  the  river  for  the  use  of 
the  inhabitants  of  the  city  of  New  York,  nearly  forty 
miles  away.  On  the  northern  bank  of  the  Croton  is 
the  ancient  manor-house  of  the  Van  Cortlandts,  bearing 
the  date  1681.  A  Van  Cortlandt  built  it  then,  and  a 
Van  Cortlandt  occupies  it  to-day. 

The  house  was  originally  forty  feet  by  thirty-three, 
containing  eight  rooms,  and  was  built  of  Nyack  freestone, 
loopholed  for  the  use  of  firearms  in  the  event  of  an  attack 
by  the  natives.  At  first,  it  was  used  as  a  trading-post 
by  Stephanus  Van  Cortlandt,  the  purchaser  of  land  from 
the  natives  and  the  manor-lord  of  Van  Cortlandt  Manor, 
which  comprised  in  Westchester  County  alone  over  eighty- 
seven  thousand  acres  of  land.  The  house  commanded 
the  ferry  across  the  mouth  of  the  river,  a  few  yards 
away.  The  sloops  and  sailing  vessels  used  to  sail  up  the 
river  beyond  the  manor-house  until  1841,  when  the  Croton 
dam,  then  nearing  completion,  was  swept  away  by  a 
freshet  and  great  quantities  of  earth  were  swept  down, 
filling  up  so  much  of  the  stream  as  to  prevent  navigation. 
Where  vessels  used  to  ride  at  anchor,  there  are  now  many 
acres  of  fine  meadow  land.  Henry  Hudson  made  his  first 
anchorage  off  the  mouth  of  the  Croton  after  leaving 
Yonkers. 

As  times  became  more  settled,  the  younger  members 
of  the  Van  Cortlandt  family  resorted  to  the  Kitchawan 
for  hunting,  and  the  house  was  enlarged  and  rendered 
more  habitable.  Stephanus,  the  first  and  only  manor- 
lord,  left  eleven  children,  among  whom  his  property 
was  divided  in  1734,  thirty-four  years  after  his  death. 
The  survey  was  made  by  his  grandson-in-law,  Philip 
Verplanck,  who  uses  the  term  "Croton's  River"  as  if 
it  were  a  common  and  familiar  one.  The  river  may  have 


390  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


gotten  its  name  from  Indian  sources,  or  from  some  tenant 
living  along  its  banks. 

In  1774,  the  house  was  in  the  possession  of  Pierre 
Van  Cortlandt,  a  great-grandson  of  the  manor-lord. 

In  this  year,  Governor  Tryon  came  to  Croton,  ostensibly 
on  a  visit  of  courtesy,  bringing  with  him  his  wife,  a  daughter 
of  the  Hon.  John  Watts,  a  kinsman  of  the  Van  Cortlandts, 
and  his  secretary,  Colonel  Fanning.  The  next  morning 
Governor  Tryon  proposed  a  walk.  They  all  proceeded  to  one 
of  the  highest  points  on  the  estate,  and,  pausing,  Tryon 
announced  to  the  listening  Van  Cortlandt  the  great  favors  that 
would  be  granted  to  him  if  he  would  espouse  the  royal  cause 
and  give  his  adherence  to  the  king  and  the  parliament.  Large 
grants  of  land  would  be  added  to  his  estates,  and  Tryon  hinted 
that  a  title  would  be  bestowed.  Van  Cortlandt  answered 
that  he  was  chosen  representative  to  the  Colonial  Assembly 
by  unanimous  approbation  of  a  people  who  placed  confidence 
in  his  integrity,  to  use  all  his  ability  for  the  good  of  his  country 
as  a  true  patriot,  which  line  of  conduct  he  was  determined  to 
pursue. 

The  discomfited  Tryon  returned  to  New  York,  and 
the  patriotic  Van  Cortlandt,  who  had  so  much  to  lose 
in  the  event  of  British  success,  threw  in  his  lot  with 
the  patriots  and  served  them  faithfully  as  their  repre- 
sentative in  the  Provincial  Congress,  as  President  of 
the  Council  of  Safety  and  as  Lieutenant-Governor  of  the 
State  from  1777  to  1795.  He  was  also  President  of  the 
State  Constitutional  Convention.  His  son  Philip  was  an 
officer  in  the  Continental  army,  and  was  on  Sullivan's 
punitive  expedition  against  the  Six  Nations  after  the 
massacres  at  Wyoming  and  Cherry  Valley.  He  was 
brevetted  brigadier-general  for  meritorious  conduct  in 
the  siege  of  Yorktown. 


Upper  Westchester  County  391 

It  was  here  at  the  mouth  of  the  Croton  that  the 
Americans  had  the  westernmost  of  their  posts  to  pre- 
vent the  British  from  getting  through  to  the  upper 
county  and  to  the  Highlands.  Washington  writes  under 
date  of  July  2,  1781,  of  "the  new  bridge  of  the  Croton, 


PEEKSKILL  BAY 


about  nine  miles  from  Peekskills. "  The  ferry-house 
then  became  a  barracks  for  the  soldiers;  and  here,  in 
the  middle  of  the  winter  of  1782,  they  were  surprised 
and  routed  by  a  body  of  the  enemy  which  came  up  from 
below.  The  manor-house  itself  is  full  of  relics  of  almost 
inestimable  value,  while  the  historic  associations  that 
cluster  around  it  are  possessed  by  few  other  houses  in 
America.    Franklin,  Rochambeau,  Lafayette,  Steuben, 


392  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


de  Lauzan,  and  almost  the  whole  roster  of  the  American 
generals  were  welcome  and  honored  guests;  nor  must  we 
leave  out  Brant,  the  famous  Mohawk  chief,  who  visited 
here  after  the  peace  and  during  his  stay  told  Colonel 
Van  Cortlandt  how  near  the  latter  had  been  to  death 
by  the  chief's  direction  at  the  battle  of  the  Chemung. 
"Had  I  taken  a  shot  at  you  myself,"  said  Thayandanagea, 
"instead  of  directing  one  of  my  warriors  to  do  so,  you 
would  not  have  been  here  to  be  my  host."  A  plate  on 
the  porch  marks  the  spot  upon  which  stood  the  great 
preacher,  George  Whitefield,  when  he  addressed  the  mul- 
titude on  the  lawn  below.  Bishop  Asbury  also  preached 
from  the  same  porch.  There  is  also  a  haunted  room  in 
the  ancient  house ;  and  the  clandestine  marriage  of  Colonel 
Pierre  Van  Cortlandt's  first  wife  may  have  furnished  the 
basis  of  Mrs.  Amelia  Barr's  Bow  of  Orange  Ribbon. 

Croton  Landing,  or  Croton-on-Hudson,  formerly 
Collaberg  Landing,  lies  above  the  manor-house;  its 
chief  industry  is  brick-making.  Between  the  manor- 
house  and  Croton  are  Teller's  Point — also  called  Sarah's 
Point  after  Sarah,  the  wife  of  the  first  settler,  William 
Teller,  and  Croton  Point.  It  was  abreast  of  this  point 
that  the  Vulture  lay  at  anchor  and  aroused  the  animosity 
of  the  American  soldiers,  who  brought  a  cannon  down 
from  Peekskill  and  fired  on  the  vessel.  Andre  was  ashore 
having  his  interview  with  Arnold,  intending  to  return 
to  the  Vulture;  but  the  vessel  was  obliged  to  drop  down 
stream  to  escape  the  fire  of  the  patriots,  and  thus  Andre 
was  compelled  to  return  to  New  York  by  land  with  such 
tragic  results.  To  the  eastward  of  Croton  is  a  hill  six 
hundred  feet  high,  which  is  known  as  Hessian  Hill,  from 
the  fact  that  a  body  of  these  troops  was  at  one  time  en- 
camped there,  many  of  whom  deserted  their  colors  to 
join  the  Americans. 


393 


394  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


The  post-road  passes  on  through  Oscawanna,  Crugers, 
and  Montrose  and  we  pass  a  number  of  fine  estates. 
Verplanck's  Point,  with  its  brick-making  industries, 
lies  to  the  west.  Here  in  colonial  days  was  the  King's 
Ferry,  the  principal  line  of  communication  across  the 
Hudson,  connecting  New  England  with  the  Jerseys;  so 
that  its  possession  was  of  vast  importance  to  the  Ameri- 
cans. In  those  old  days,  a  sign  at  the  junction  of  the 
ferry  road  and  Broadway  read:  "Dishe  his  de  Roode  toe 
de  Kehings  Farry, "  a  curious  compound  of  Dutch, 
English,  and  bad  spelling  that  must  have  aroused  the 
laughter  of  Andre,  if  it  were  not  too  dark  to  see  it,  as  he 
rode  by  it  in  company  with  Joshua  Hett  Smith  on  the 
afternoon  or  evening  of  the  twenty-first  of  September, 
1780.  The  point  gets  its  name  from  Philip  Verplanck, 
who  married  the  granddaughter  of  the  manor-lord  and 
came  into  possession  of  it  through  his  wife. 

Directly  opposite  to  it  on  the  other  side  of  the  Hudson, 
is  Stony  Point.  Fortifications  were  erected  on  both  sides 
of  the  river  to  command  the  ferry ;  and  these  passed  back 
and  forward  several  times  during  the  course  of  the  war. 
In  the  summer  of  1782,  the  French  army  came  north  from 
Virginia  and  was  received  with  great  honors  by  the 
Americans  at  Verplanck's  Point.  Under  the  direction 
of  Baron  Steuben  and  with  the  supplies  furnished  by 
Louis  XVI.,  the  Continental  army  had  become  so  well 
clothed,  equipped,  and  disciplined  as  to  call  forth  from 
the  Comte  de  Rochambeau  the  remark:  "You  must  have 
formed  an  alliance  with  the  King  of  Prussia ;  these  troops 
are  Prussians."  This  was  no  doubtful  compliment,  as 
the  troops  of  Frederick  the  Great  were  the  best  in  the 
world. 

Above  Verplanck's  Point,  the  river,  after  its  exit 
from  the  Highlands,  opens  into  a  beautiful  bay  known 


Upper  Westchester  County  395 


as  Peekskill  Bay.  Henry  Hudson  thought  he  had  reached 
the  end  of  his  voyage  when  he  reached  this  point,  but  he 
finally  discovered  the  passage  through  the  mountains 
and  continued  on  his  way  as  far  as  the  site  of  Albany. 
From  the  highway  we  get  a  view  of  the  lower  town  of 
Peekskill  near  the  landing,  with  its  various  industries, 
especially  those  in  iron,  which  were  started  about  a 
century  ago.  Across  the  river  is  a  magnificent  panorama 
of  the  Highlands. 

The  Kitchiwonks  had  a  village  in  this  vicinity  which 
they  called  Sackhoes ;  but  the  white  settlement  that  grew 
up  about  it  was  called  Peekskill,  after  one  of  the  earliest 
settlers,  Jan  Peek,  through  whose  property  flowed  a 
highland  brook,  called  Jan  Peek's  kill. 

Jan  Peck,  or  Peeck,  according  to  the  records  of  the 
court  of  New  Amsterdam  for  1 653,  was  a  tapster  doing 
business  on  the  Heere  Straat.  He  appears  to  have  been 
a  somewhat  disreputable  character;  for  in  that  year  he 
was  proceeded  against  by  Sheriff  Van  Tienhoven,  who 
reports : 

that  he  has  found  drinking  clubs  on  divers  nights  at  the  house 
of  Jan  Peck  with  dancing  and  jumping  and  entertainment  of 
disorderly  people;  also  tapping  during  Preaching,  and  that 
there  was  great  noise  made  by  drunkards,  especially  yester- 
day, Sunday,  in  this  house,  so  that  he  was  obliged  to  remove 
one  to  jail  in  a  cart,  which  was  a  most  scandalous  affair. 

Peck  was  found  guilty,  though  he  did  not  appear 
to  answer  the  charges;  and  upon  the  demand  of  the 
sheriff,  he  was  fined,  his  license  annulled  and  he  was  or- 
dered to  stop  tapping  until  he  had  vindicated  himself. 
Peck  petitioned  at  the  next  meeting  of  the  court  for 
permission  to  tap;  and  later,  at  his  request,  both  oral 
and  written,  he  was  allowed  to  resume  business,  "inas- 


396 


The  World's  Greatest  Street 


much  as  he  is  burthened  with  a  houseful  of  children  and 
more  besides."  The  judge  took  into  consideration  that 
he  was  an  old  Burgher  and  permitted  him  to  resume  upon 
his  promise  to  comport  himself  properly;  but  if  he  did 
not  do  so,  his  business  was  to  be  stopped  without  favor 
and  himself  punished  as  he  deserves.    At  a  later  time, 


THE  SETH   POMEROY  MONUMENT  AT  CORTLANDTVILLE 


after  his  death,  his  widow  was  banished  for  repeating 
his  offences.  Had  it  not  been  for  his  purchase  of  the 
land  on  the  Hudson,  he  would  probably  have  been  un- 
known to  fame. 

During  the  Revolution,  the  main  army  of  the  colonies 
was  kept  in  this  neighborhood,  and  Washington,  himself, 
was  not  long  away  from  it,  as  the  Highlands  commanded 


Upper  Westchester  County  397 


the  valley  of  the  Hudson  and  here  was  the  principal  line 
of  communication  between  the  colonies.  If  the  British 
could  get  the  valley  of  the  Hudson,  they  had  the  rebellion 
throttled,  as  the  colonies  would  be  divided  and  could  not 
act  in  concert.  Many  fortifications  were  erected  by  the 
Americans  in  this  vicinity  and  above,  and  many  were  the 
attempts  made  by  the  British  to  get  possession ;  when  force 
failed  in  getting  hold  of  this  vital  point,  Clinton  tried 
bribery,  with  results  that  would  have  been  fatal  to  the 
American  cause,  had  it  not  been  for  the  patriotism  of 
three  ignorant  yeomen  who,  as  we  have  already  seen, 
stopped  the  agent  of  Clinton  and  prevented  the  treason 
of  Arnold  from  attaining  its  completion.  Among  the 
American  commanders  were  Seth  Pomeroy,  Heath, 
McDougal,  Putnam,  and  Arnold,  the  last  being  again 
followed  by  Heath,  who  commanded  during  the  Chief's 
campaign  in  the  South. 

Fort  Independence  was  located  at  Roa  Hook,  and 
a  chain  was  stretched  across  the  river  at  this  point;  it 
was  easily  broken  by  its  own  weight  and  the  force  of 
the  tides ;  the  later  chain  was  farther  up  the  river  between 
Constitution  Island  and  West  Point.  In  1885,  the  state 
bought  Roa  Hook  for  a  camp  of  instruction  for  the 
national  guard.  For  many  years  it  was  so  used;  but 
within  the  last  few  years,  since  the  passage  of  the  so- 
called  Dick  bill,  the  militia  of  the  several  states  have 
become  virtually  a  part  of  the  regular  army  and  unite 
with  it  in  annual  manoeuvres,  and  the  state  camp  has 
not  been  used.  It  was  proposed  to  utilize  it  for  the  site 
of  the  new  prison  which  is  to  take  the  place  of  Sing  Sing. 

About  three  miles  north  of  Peekskill,  on  the  creek, 
is  Cortlandtville,  where  the  original  village  of  Peekskill 
was  located.  It  belonged  to  Cortlandt  Manor,  and  the 
old  house  of  the  Van  Cortlandts,  much  modernized,  is 


398  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


still  standing.  It  bears  a  tablet,  which,  besides  describing 
the  services  of  its  owner,  Colonel  Pierre  Van  Cortlandt, 
says:  "General  Washington  with  his  aides  slept  in  this 
house  many  nights  while  making  Peekskill  their  head- 
quarters, in  1776,  1777  and  1778."  At  Cortlandt ville, 
is  St.  Peter's  Church,  a  barn-like  structure  which  dates 


ST.  peter's  church  and  paulding  monument  at  cortlandtville 


from  1763.  Surrounding  it  is  the  ancient  cemetery,  in 
which  lie  two  distinguished  personages  of  the  Revolution, 
Seth  Pomeroy  and  John  Paulding.  The  former  was  the 
first  commander  of  the  minute  men  who  gathered  at 
Cambridge  upon  the  news  of  Lexington,  and  who  was 
the  commander  of  the  Highland  military  post  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  February  15,  1777.    Though  his  grave 


Upper  Westchester  County  399 


is  unknown,  the  Sons  of  the  Revolution  have  erected 
within  the  cemetery  a  handsome  monument  commemor- 
ating his  services  both  in  the  Revolution  and  in  the  old 
French  war.  John  Paulding  was  one  of  the  captors  of 
Andre,  and  the  city  of  New  York  erected  a  suitable 
monument  over  his  grave  in  1827. 

Gallows  Hill  gets  its  name  from  the  execution  of 
Edmund  Palmer,  a  British  spy,  who  was  hanged  there 
on  August  7,  1777.  The  British  commander  in  New 
York  was  anxious  to  save  the  man  and  wrote  to  Putnam, 
who  then  commanded  in  the  Highlands,  demanding  his 
surrender  and  threatening  reprisals  in  the  event  of  his 
execution.  Putnam  returned  the  following  characteristic 
reply : 

Headquarters,  7th  August,  1777. 
Sir:  Edmund  Palmer,  an  officer  in  the  enemies  service, 
was  taken  as  a  spy  lurking  within  the  American  lines.    He  has 
been  tried  as  a  spy,  condemned  as  a  spy,  and  shall  be  executed 
as  a  spy ;  and  the  flag  is  ordered  to  depart  immediately. 

Israel  Putnam. 
P.S.    He  has  been  accordingly  executed. 

Just  east  of  the  Van  Cortlandt  house  the  post-road 
turns  north  to  enter  the  Highlands,  where  one  of  the 
ancient  milestones,  marked  "50  miles  from  N.  Y.," 
still  stands.  There  are  occasional  milestones  on  the 
west  side  of  the  road  as  far  as  Wappingers  Falls,  but 
the  post-road  has  degenerated  into  a  mere  track  a  short 
distance  above,  the  Highland  turnpike  having  taken  its 
place.*  Several  old  houses  still  remain  in  this  vicinity, 
among  them  Dusenberry's  Tavern,  where  Major  Andre 
and  his  escort  stopped  while  on  their  way  to  West  Point. 

*  During  the  past  year  these  old  milestones  have  been  reset  and  cared 
for  by  the  Putnam  County  Historical  Society. 


400         The  World's  Greatest  Street 

Andre  was  within  a  few  miles  of  Arnold's  headquarters 
and  safety,  when  the  express  sent  by  Jamieson  arrived, 
and  Andre  was  taken  back  to  North  Salem;  Lieutenant 
Allen  continued  on  through  the  Highlands  with  the  note 


dusenberry's  tavern,  cortlandtville,  n.  y. 


to  Arnold  who  was  thus  warned  of  the  capture  of  his 
confederate  and  escaped. 

Continental  Village  stood  about  a  mile  north  of 
Gallows  Hill,  in  Putnam  County.  Great  quantities  of 
supplies  were  gathered  here  for  the  American  Army  and 
barracks  were  erected  to  accommodate  fifteen  hundred 
men.  In  October,  1777,  Governor  Tryon  captured  and 
burnt  Peekskill  and  then  pushed  on  to  Continental 
Village,  which  he  destroyed  so  thoroughly  that  nothing 
remains  of  it  to-day,  though  it  was  again  occupied  by 
the  Americans.  In  the  spring  of  1 781 ,  about  fifteen 
years  before  Jenner  made  his  successful  experiments 
in  vaccination,  all  the  troops  and  others  stationed  here 


Upper  Westchester  County  401 


were  inoculated  with  the  small-pox.  "All  the  soldiers, 
with  the  women  and  children,"  wrote  the  army  surgeon 
Dr.  Thacher,  in  his  diary,  "who  have  not  had  the  small- 
pox, are  now  under  inoculation."  "Of  five  hundred 
who  were  inoculated  here,"  he  wrote  later,  "only  four 
have  died." 

After  the  Revolution,  Peekskill  became  the  shipping 
point  of  farm  produce  to  the  city  of  New  York,  not  only 
from  the  immediate  vicinity,  but  from  northwestern 
Connecticut  and  from  Putnam  (Dutchess)  County. 
Six  sloops  were  regularly  engaged  in  the  traffic  to  New 
York;  and  later,  when  the  steamboats  began  to  ply  the 
river,  the  landing  was  removed  from  the  mouth  of  Anns- 
ville  Creek  to  the  easterly  side  of  the  bay  and  Peekskill 
began  to  be  an  important  commercial  point;  later,  the 
railroad  added  to  its  importance. 

My  heart  is  on  the  hills.    The  shades 

Of  night  are  on  my  brow; 
Ye  pleasant  haunts  and  quiet  glades, 

My  soul  is  with  you  now! 
I  bless  the  star-crowned  Highlands,  where 

My  Ida's  footsteps  roam: 
Oh,  for  a  falcon's  wing  to  bear 

Me  onward  to  my  home! 

George  P.  Morris. 

A  couple  of  miles,  or  less,  above  the  centre  of  the 
present  village  of  Peekskill,  the  post-road,  here  called 
Highland  Avenue,  plunges  down  a  steep  hill  across 
Annsville  Creek  and  disappears  within  the  Highlands. 
These  mountains  are  picturesque  and  impressive  at  all 
times;  but  when  Nature  paints  them  with  her  autumnal 
tints,  words  fail  in  describing  their  beauty,  and  no  artist 

26 


402  The  World's  Greatest  Street 

can  do  full  justice  to  their  grandeur.  Just  before 
crossing  Annsville  Creek,  we  get  a  view  of  the  bold 
promontory  of  Anthony's  Nose,  jutting  out  into  the 
distant  river.    This  is  the  northwestern  corner  of  West- 


ANNSVILLE  CREEK — WHERE  BROADWAY  ENTERS  THE  HIGHLANDS 


Chester  County  and  the  highest  point  in  it — one  thousand 
two  hundred  and  twenty-eight  feet.  It  probably  re- 
ceived its  name  from  its  resemblance  to  a  gigantic, 
human  nose;  but  Irving  is  on  hand  to  tell  the  origin  of 
its  name. 


4«3 


404         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


He  says: 

And  now  I  am  going  to  tell  a  fact,  which  I  doubt  much  my 
readers  will  hesitate  to  believe  ...  It  must  be  known  then 
that  the  nose  of  Anthony  the  trumpeter  was  of  a  very  lusty 
size,  strutting  boldly  from  his  countenance  like  a  mountain  of 
Golconda,  being  sumptuously  bedecked  with  rubies  and  other 
precious  stones — the  true  regalia  of  a  king  of  good  fellows, 
which  jolly  Bacchus  presents  to  all  who  bouse  it  heartily  at  the 
flagon.  Now  thus  it  happened,  that  bright  and  early  in  the 
morning,  the  good  Anthony,  having  washed  his  burly  visage, 
was  leaning  over  the  quarter  railing  of  the  galley,  contem- 
plating it  in  the  glassy  wave  below.  Just  at  this  moment,  the 
illustrious  sun,  breaking  in  all  his  splendor  from  a  high  bluff 
of  the  Highlands,  did  dart  one  of  his  most  potent  beams 
full  upon  the  refulgent  nose  of  the  sounder  of  brass — the 
reflection  of  which  shot  straightway  down  hissing  hot  into  the 
water  and  killed  a  mighty  sturgeon  that  was  sporting  beside 
the  vessel  .  .  .  When  this  astonishing  miracle  became  known 
to  Petrus  Stuyvesant,  and  that  he  tasted  of  an  unknown  fish, 
he,  as  well  may  be  supposed,  marvelled  exceedingly;  and  as  a 
monument  thereof,  he  gave  the  name  of  Anthony's  Nose  to 
a  stout  promontory  in  the  neighborhood,  and  it  has  continued 
to  be  called  Anthony's  Nose  ever  since  that  time. 


CHAPTER  XVI 


PUTNAM  AND  DUTCHESS  COUNTIES 

HE  county  of  Putnam,  named  after 
the  famous  "Old  Put"  of  Revolu- 
tionary days,  was  formerly  a  part 
of  the  county  of  Dutchess,  from 
which  it  was  separated  in  1812. 
Almost  all  of  the  county  is  com- 
prised within  the  patent  granted  to 
Adolphus  Philipse  on  June  17,  1697. 
As  Adolphus  was  a  bachelor,  the  property  went  at  his 
death  in  1749  to  his  nephew,  Frederick  Philipse, 
the  manor-lord  of  Yonkers,  and  to  his  nieces,  Susanna, 
who  married  Colonel  Beverly  Robinson,  and  Mary, 
who  married  Colonel  Roger  Morris.  The  property  of  all 
three  was  confiscated  by  the  State  of  New  York  on  ac- 
count of  the  owners  remaining  loyal  to  the  king  during 
the  Revolutionary  struggle.  Before  being  set  off  as 
a  separate  county,  the  land  had  been  the  precinct  of 
Philipstown  in  Dutchess  County. 

As  to  the  availability  of  this  land  for  settlement  and 
cultivation,  we  have  the  statement  of  Governor  Hunter 
to  the  Lords  of  Trade  in  1720: 

Part  of  the  resumed  grant  of  Captain  Evans  being  about 
twelve  miles  along  the  River,  Mountainous  and  barren  and 

405 


406 


The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Incapable  of  Improvement  or  of  a  road  and  only  valuable  for 

fire-wood,  no  man  will  accept  any  part  of  it  under  the  Quit 
Rent  directed  to  be  reserved  unless  it  be  contiguous  to  the 
River,  where  he  may  with  ease  transport  the  wood. 

Lieutenant-Governor  Colden  to  the  Lords  of  Trade, 
February  14,  1738:  "At  about  forty  miles  northward 


Rombout's  Patent. 


Beekman's  Patent. 


Major  Morris' 

Col.  Robinson's 

water  J_i0t, 

0) 

V 

L,OL, 

Four  Miles 

CQ 

Four  Miles 

Square. 

i 

Square. 

1 

1 

7 

>> 

■ 

.a 
a 

Capt.  Frederick 

s 

 ~£  

i 

i 

Capt.  Philipse's 

Philipse's 

N 

Back  Lot, 

Water  Lot, 

Four  Miles 

Four  Miles 

0 

O 

Square. 

Square. 

24 

5  5 

H  _ 

to  6 

8 

2 

c 

0 

M 

c 
0 

A 

C 

Q 

n 

m 

Col.  Robinson's 

a 
0 

.2 

hilipse 

Major  Morris' 

Water  Lot, 
Four  Miles 

tn 
C 

IS 

r  Morr 

Back  Lot, 
Four  Miles 

Square. 

0 

a 

Square. 

3 

0 

Majo 

Capt 

9 

Northern  Line  of  Westchester  County. 
DIVISION  MAP  OF  THE  HIGHLAND  PATENT  OF   ADOLPHUS  PHILIPSE 


from  the  city  of  New  York  a  chain  of  mountains  about 
12  miles  in  breadth,  Commonly  called  the  Highlands 
Cross  the  Hudson's  River  running  many  miles  from  the 
North  East."  He  also  speaks  of  the  different  varieties 
of  trees  as  far  as  Albany,  and  especially  of  the  pines. 

Lieutenant-Governor  De  Lancey  reports  as  follows 
under  date  of  1757:  "This  country  abounds  in  Iron  Oar 
especially  in  the  Highlands  and  several  works  have  been 
begun  but  were  droped  through  the  mismanagement  or  in- 
ability of  the  undertakers ;  of  these  there  were  two  Furnaces 
in  the  Manor  of  Cortlandt  and  several  Bloomeries. " 


Putnam  and  Dutchess  Counties  407 

The  Highland  section  through  which  the  post-road 
passes  is,  therefore,  rather  sparsely  settled.  The  trees 
have  furnished  fuel  and  charcoal  for  the  great  city,  and 
the  hills  have  furnished  ore  for  the  foundries  which 
have  been  located  at  Cold  Spring  for  over  a  century. 
Other  minerals  are  believed  to  exist  in  these  hills;  and 
in  colonial  days  several  settlers  claimed  to  have  dis- 
covered silver,  which  they  converted  into  coin,  and,  in 
consequence,  suffered  death  for  counterfeiting.  The 
remoteness  of  this  section  would  naturally  recommend 
itself  to  those  engaging  in  illicit  pursuits. 

The  first  entrance  to  the  Highlands  was  by  way  of 
Cortlandtville,  near  which  Colonel  Beverly  Robinson 
established  the  first  grist-mill  in  1762.  The  earliest 
known  settler  was  John  Rogers,  who  built  a  large  house 
about  two  miles  north  of  the  site  of  Continental  Village 
in  1730.  At  that  time,  an  Indian  path  only,  or  trail, 
led  from  Westchester  through  the  Highlands  to  Fishkill. 
Rogers  kept  a  tavern  on  this  path;  and  any  traveller 
who  arrived  at  the  house  by  the  middle  of  the  afternoon 
was  bound  to  stop  all  night,  owing  to  the  danger  of 
travelling  through  the  Highlands  after  dark  and  the 
difficulty  of  threading  such  a  wild,  mountainous,  and 
solitary  path.  Rogers  continued  to  keep  his  tavern 
through  the  French  wars.  It  was  about  1754  that  Lord 
Louden,  the  British  commander,  marched  through  the 
Highlands  with  his  troops  to  attack  the  French  on  the 
frontier.  For  the  transportation  of  his  guns  and  wagons, 
he  was  obliged  to  construct  a  road;  this  he  did  by  fol- 
lowing the  general  direction  of  the  old  Indian  path, which 
thus  became  the  post-road  leading  through  Nelsonville 
to  Fishkill.  Later,  the  Highland  Turnpike  Company 
built  Highland  Avenue  through  Annsville  and  up  the 
heart-breaking  Nelson's  hill,  thence  diverging  through 


408 


The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Nelsonville  and  to  Cold  Spring.  It  is  only  within  a 
decade  that  a  newer  road  through  the  valley  to  the  east 
of  the  hill  has  been  constructed  and  the  steep  hill  avoided. 
The  fact  that  these  hills  once  were  inhabited  by  wild 
cats  is  perpetuated  in  the  name  of  "Cat  hill,"  once  the 


*W.  \  ',' 


Courtesy  of  Putnam  County  Historical  Society 

THE  BEVERLY  HOUSE 

This  house,  famous  as  the  scene  of  Arnold's  treason,  was  unfortunately 
destroyed  by  fire  a  few  years  ago. 


resort  of  that  species  of  animals.  The  crotalus,  or 
rattlesnake,  also  found  its  habitat  among  these  solitudes. 

After  we  have  passed  Nelson's  hill,  we  may  make  a 
detour  to  Garrisons,  which  is  not,  strictly  speaking,  on 
the  great  highway;  but  the  associations  are  too  strong 
to  resist.    Here  was  the  Beverly  Robinson  house,  built 


Putnam  and  Dutchess  Counties  409 

by  that  manorial  proprietor  in  colonial  times  and  occu- 
pied frequently  as  headquarters  by  the  commander  of 
West  Point  and  its  dependencies  in  the  Highlands.  It 
was  Arnold's  headquarters  on  that  fateful  day  in  Sep- 
tember, 1780,  when  Lieutenant  Allen  gave  him  Jamieson's 
note  apprising  him  of  the  capture  of  his  confederate, 
Mr.  John  Anderson.  Excusing  himself  to  his  guests, 
Lafayette,  Hamilton,  Knox,  and  others,  on  the  plea  of 
going  to  West  Point  to  receive  in  person  the  commander- 
in-chief,  Arnold  took  an  agonized  farewell  of  his  wife 
and  child,  mounted  his  horse  and  rode  down  the  steep 
hill,  still  called  "Arnold's  path,"  to  Beverly  dock,  where 
he  entered  his  barge  and  directed  the  rowers  to  pull  down 
stream  to  the  Vulture,  on  which  he  found  safety  from 
his  enraged  countrymen.  The  house  of  so  many  historic 
associations  was  burned  down  about  a  score  of  years  ago. 

Upon  the  heights  are  the  estates  of  many  wealthy 
people  and  persons  of  note,  as  well  as  several  of  colonial 
days.  The  views  in  this  section  are  among  the  finest 
to  be  found  upon  the  Hudson.  West  Point  is  directly 
opposite  and  Indian  Brook  adds  its  own  beauty  to  the 
near-by  scene.  Its  wild  glen  is  fuller  of  more  voracious 
mosquitoes  than  I  have  discovered  anywhere  else  that  I 
have  been.  I  once  attempted  to  get  a  photograph  of 
it,  and  the  five  or  more  minutes  required  were  among 
the  liveliest  of  my  life. 

The  magnificent  buildings  allowed  by  the  National 
Government  for  the  Military  Academy  at  West  Point 
are  now  approaching  completion.  At  the  time  of  the 
Spanish  War  in  1898,  one  Senator  who  scrutinized  the 
list  of  names  sent  in  by  the  President  for  appointment 
to  captaincies  and  higher  grades,  remarked:  "Since  it 
requires  four  years  of  hard  study  and  many  thousands 
of  dollars  to  produce  a  second  lieutenant  in  the  army, 


4io  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


and  the  President  can  make  captains,  majors,  and  colonels 
of  his  own  volition,  it  seems  to  me  that  we  would  save 
money  by  doing  away  with  West  Point  altogether." 
But  the  satire  was  too  obvious.  Another  Senator  scru- 
tinized the  list,  and  noticing  the  names  of  so  many  sons 
of  distinguished  sires,  parodied  Longfellow: 

Sons  of  great  men  all  remind  us 
We  can  make  our  Hves  sublime, 

And  with  papa's  push  behind  us, 
We  can  get  there  every  time. 

Above  Garrisons,  the  Dutch  navigators  called  the 
river  Martelaer's  reach,  corrupted  by  the  English  into 
Martyr's  reach;  the  name  of  the  island  here  was  sim- 
ilarly corrupted ;  but  it  is  best  known  to-day  as  Constitu- 
tion Island.  It  is  a  rocky  spot,  connected  with  the 
mainland  by  low  meadows,  awash  at  high  water.  It  was 
covered  with  fortifications  by  the  Americans  during  the 
Revolution,  and  between  it  and  West  Point  was  stretched 
the  great  iron  chain  which  was  to  prevent  the  passage 
up  the  river  of  the  enemy's  vessels. 

Since  about  1840,  the  island  has  belonged  to  Henry 
Warner,  Esq.,  and  his  two  daughters,  Susan  and  Anna 
B.  Warner.  Mr.  Warner  obtained  complete  possession 
of  the  island  by  gradual  purchase,  believing  that  the 
time  would  come  when  it  would  be  needed  as  an  addition 
to  West  Point,  and  that  then  his  fortune  would  be  made ; 
but  the  Government  has  never  wanted  it  badly  enough 
to  pay  a  great  price  for  it.  The  Warner  homestead  is 
called  "Wood  Crag,"  and  is  situated  on  the  southern 
slope  of  the  island,  its  kitchen  being  one  of  the  barracks 
of  old  Fort  Constitution.  Both  the  sisters  were  authors; 
but  Susan  is  the  more  famous.  In  1849,  under  the  pen- 
name  of  "  Susan  Wetherell, "  she  wrote  the  Wide,  Wide, 


Putnam  and  Dutchess  Counties  411 

World,  a  novel  that  still  sells,  so  I  am  informed  by  her 
publishers.  Twenty  other  books  followed  from  time 
to  time;  but  the  two  sisters  are  known  to  several  gen- 
erations of  West  Point  cadets,  not  by  their  literary 
works,  but  by  their  religious  and  social  work  in  connection 
with  the  Bible  class  that  they  maintained  for  sixty 
years.  Susan  Warner  is  dead,  but  Anna  is  still  alive  at 
an  advanced  age,  probably  ninety.  In  1909,  the  Govern- 
ment, assisted  by  Mrs.  Russell  Sage,  bought  the  island 
from  Miss  Warner;  but  she  has  a  life  tenure  of  the  prop- 
erty, and  the  Government  will  not  take  possession  until 
after  her  death. 

General  George  P.  Morris,  the  author  of  Woodman, 
Spare  that  Tree,  was  well  known  in  literary  and  jour- 
nalistic circles  during  the  first  half  of  the  nineteenth 
century.  Morris  lived  near  here  at  his  estate  which  he 
called  "  Undercliff . "  He  received  his  military  title 
during  the  Civil  War.  Here  his  daughter  Ida  kept  house 
for  him,  and  it  is  she  who  is  mentioned  in  his  apostrophe 
to  the  Highlands. 

Before  entering  Cold  Spring,  the  road  passes  the 
foundries  established  here  in  1817  for  the  manufacture 
of  ordnance  and  projectiles  for  the  Government.  One  of 
the  founders  of  the  West  Point  Foundry  was  Gouverneur 
Kemble,  an  associate  of  Irving  and  Paulding  in  the  revels 
at  Cockloft  Hall.  During  the  Civil  War,  all  the  Parrott 
guns  and  projectiles  were  made  here,  and  the  place  was 
a  busy  one.  But  cast-iron  guns  and  projectiles  passed 
out  of  use,  and  the  foundry  lay  idle  for  many  years.  The 
foundry  was  the  principal  industry  of  Cold  Spring. 

The  village  received  its  odd  name,  so  it  is  said,  from 
the  tradition  that  upon  one  occasion,  while  Washington 
was  riding  through  this  section,  he  stopped  at  a  spring 
for  a  drink  of  water.    While  partaking  of  it,  he  remarked : 


412  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


"What  a  cold  spring!"  So  Cold  Spring  it  has  been  ever 
since.  The  scenery  of  the  river  here  is  magnificent. 
Opposite  are  the  precipitous  and  rocky  sides  of  Breakneck 
and  Cro'  Nest,  and  on  this  side  are  Bull  Head  and 
other  mountains.  In  the  northern  distance,  we  get  a 
glimpse  into  the  opening  of  Newburgh  Bay.  The  road 
along  the  shore  passes  around  the  end  of  the  Fishkill 
Mountains  to  Fishkill  Landing,  about  five  miles  from 
Fishkill  and  the  post-road. 

The  Indians  who  occupied  the  Highlands  were  the 
Wicopees,  a  tribe  of  the  Waranoaks,  who  occupied  the 
section  above.  The  pass  through  the  mountains  near 
Fishkill  is  known  as  the  Wicopee  pass,  and  it  was  well 
fortified  during  the  Revolution  to  prevent  the  British 
from  getting  above.  It  was  on  the  heights  overlooking 
this  pass  that  Harvey  Birch,  the  hero  of  Cooper's  Spy, 
had  his  mysterious  interview  with  Washington  after 
the  former's  escape  from  his  threatened  execution  at 
Fishkill. 

When  the  proprietary  of  New  York  was  divided  up 
into  counties  on  November  I,  1683,  two  of  them  were 
named  in  honor  of  the  lord-proprietor  and  his  wife — 
Duke's,  comprising  Nantucket,  Martha's  Vineyard,  and 
Maine,  afterwards  surrendered  to  Massachusetts,  and 
Dutchess  on  the  east  bank  of  the  Hudson.  When  Dr. 
Johnson  issued  his  Dictionary  of  the  English  Language 
in  1757,  he  introduced  some  simplified  spelling  and 
dropped  the  "t"  in  Duchess,  notwithstanding  which, 
the  State  of  New  York  has  clung  to  the  old  spelling, 
probably  from  sentiment,  and  the  county  is  legally  and 
officially  known  as  Dutchess.  When  it  was  formed 
in  1683,  on  account  of  the  paucity  of  inhabitants,  it  was 
provisionally  attached  to  Ulster  County  until  17 13. 
Its  boundaries  were  "from  the  north  bounds  of  the 


413 


414  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


county  of  Westchester  on  the  south  side  of  the  Highlands, 
along  the  east  side  as  far  as  Roelof  Jansen's  Kill  and  east 
into  the  woods  twenty  miles."  It  has  suffered  two 
curtailments:  Livingston's  Manor  was  taken  from  its 
northern  part  in  171 7,  and  Putnam  County  from  its 
southern  in  18 12. 

It  must  be  understood  that  before  any  grants  were 


TRINITY  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH,  ERECTED  1 769,  AT  FISHKILL 

made  by  the  English  governors,  the  patentees  had  to 
show  that  they  had  purchased  from  the  Indian  pro- 
prietors. The  first  recorded  patent  is  that  of  Francis 
Rombout,  at  one  time  mayor  of  New  York,  under  date 
of  October  17,  1685.  His  grant  included  the  two  Fish- 
kills  and  extended  along  the  river  and  inland  for  several 
miles.  Associated  with  him  in  the  Indian  purchase 
were  Gulian  Verplanck  and  Jacobus  Kip,  the  former 
of  whom  died  before  Governor  Dongan  gave  the  patent. 
Stephanus  Van  Cortlandt  as  representative  of  the  Ver- 


Putnam  and  Dutchess  Counties  415 

planck  children  then  came  in  with  Rombout  and  Kip. 
The  grant  covered  over  eighty-five  thousand  acres  of 
land. 

The  Highlands  were  called  by  the  Indians  of  this 
section,  the  Waranoaks,  the  Matteawan  Mountains. 
The  meaning  of  the  name  has  been  given  as  "the  place 
of  furs,"  referring  to  the  beavers  who  were  plentiful 
along  the  creek,  and  also  as  being  derived  from  metai, 
a  magician,  or  medicine-man,  and  wian,  a  skin;  hence, 
"the  place  of  enchanted  skins."  The  stream  was  called 
Vis  kill  (Fish  creek),  corrupted  by  the  English  into 
Fishkill.  The  creek  empties  into  one  of  the  reaches 
of  the  Hudson,  called  by  the  Dutch  Crom  Elboge,  or 
Crooked  Elbow,  and,  in  consequence,  the  creek  is  some- 
times called  Crom  Elbow,  a  combination  of  Dutch  and 
English.  The  earliest  Dutch  settler  established  him- 
self here  before  1690.  Below  the  Highlands,  the  settlers 
were  principally  English;  above  them,  they  were  Dutch, 
German,  and  Huguenot.  On  account  of  the  almost  im- 
passible barrier  of  the  Highlands,  the  post-road  makes  a 
wide  detour  inland,  so  that  when  it  debouches  from  the 
mountains  near  Fishkill  village,  it  is  over  five  miles 
away  from  the  river  and  does  not  return  to  it  until  it 
reaches  Poughkeepsie. 

The  land  in  this  locality  was  not  considered  to  be  of 
the  best  quality,  yet  settlers  came  in  gradually,  and 
about  1725  the  Dutch  church  at  Fishkill  was  erected. 
It  was  square  in  shape  and  built  of  stone,  with  the  roof 
sloping  up  from  all  sides  to  a  cupola  containing  a  bell ; 
in  the  upper  story  were  port-holes  for  the  use  of  firearms 
in  case  of  attack  by  the  natives.  A  tablet  on  the  church 
building  states:  "Organized  1716,  Building  erected  1761, 
Provincial  Congress  met  here  1776,  Used  as  a  military 
prison  during  the  Revolution,  Enlarged  1786,  Interior 


416  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


remodeled  1806,  1820,  1854,  1882."  After  proclaiming 
the  State  of  New  York  and  the  independence  of  the 
colonies  at  White  Plains  in  July, 
1776,  the  Provincial  Congress,  or 
State  Legislature,  fled  from  West- 
chester County  to  Fishkill  and 
held  its  meetings  here  as  stated 


THE  FIRST  REFORMED  DUTCH  CHURCH,  FISHKILL 

on  the  tablet.  The  English  church,  called  Trinity,  was 
not  built  until  about  1760 — it  was  the  first  edifice  of  the 
Established  Church  erected  north  of  the  Highlands. 

On  account  of  the  activity  of  the  British  after  the 


Putnam  and  Dutchess  Counties  417 

campaign  of  1776  in  Westchester  County,  it  became 
necessary  to  establish  the  magazines  and  storehouses 
in  a  safer  place,  and  Fishkill  was  chosen  as  being  on  one 
of  the  main  lines  of  communication  between  New  England 
and  the  Hudson.  The  village  became  a  place  of  con- 
siderable military  importance  with  its  factories  and 
hospitals.    It  is  stated  in  the  History  of  Dutchess  County 


THE  OLD  GRIST-MILL  AT  BRINCKERHOFF  NEAR  FISHKILL,  OVER  ONE 
HUNDRED  AND  THIRTY  YEARS  OLD.     ERECTED  BY  SOLDIERS 
DURING  THE  REVOLUTION  AND  STILL  IN  USE 


that,  in  consequence,  there  are  probably  more  Revolu- 
tionary dead  buried  at  Fishkill  than  in  any  other  place 
in  the  State.  One  of  the  swords  of  Washington  in  the 
National  Museum  at  the  seat  of  the  Federal  Government 
bears  the  name  of  Blacksmith  Bailey  of  Fishkill,  where 
it  was  forged.  Joshua  Hett  Smith,  the  host  of  Arnold  and 
Andre,  in  whose  house  at  Haverstraw  they  finished 
their  conference  and  where  Andre  changed  from  his 
27 


4i 8         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


regimentals  into  civilian  garb,  was  arrested  at  Fishkill. 
His  trial  for  treason,  of  which  he  was  acquitted,  furnishes 
us  with  the  historic  facts  in  regard  to  the  capture  and 
the  conspiracy. 

The  Marquis  de  Chastellux,  a  French  general  officer, 
passed  through  this  section  in  November,  1780.  He 
comments  on  the  American  inns,  which  were  usually 
kept  by  captains  or  colonels  of  militia,  they  being  elected 
to  those  positions  as  being  the  most  popular  or  best- 
known  men  in  the  community.  The  inns  were  clean 
and  the  inn-keepers  courteous;  but  the  buildings  often 
had  many  broken  panes  of  glass,  and  the  guests  had 
difficulty  in  patching  them  up  to  keep  out  the  winter 
air.  Fishkill  was  a  place  of  magazines  for  the  Americans 
as  it  was  on  the  main  road  from  Litchfield,  Connecticut, 
and  the  Hudson  and  was  a  safe  place  from  being  situated 
north  of  the  Highlands.  He  observed  a  number  of 
Tory  prisoners  who  had  been  captured  in  the  fighting 
in  the  Mohawk  Valley.  The  noble  marquis  remarks 
that  these  scoundrels  should  have  been  hanged,  but  that 
the  Americans  were  afraid  of  reprisals  on  the  part  of 
the  British  who  held  a  number  of  American  prisoners. 
He  pushed  on  to  visit  General  Heath  at  West  Point, 
and  some  four  or  five  miles  from  Fishkill  in  the  Highlands 
he  observed  a  camp  of  invalids,  all  apparently  in  very 
good  health.  He  remarks  that  in  the  American  army 
every  soldier  unfit  for  military  duty  was  termed  an 
invalid;  in  this  case  "  these  had  been  sent  here  because 
their  clothes  were  truly  invalids. "  They  were  not  covered 
even  with  rags,  but  they  displayed  good  courage  and 
patience  and  their  arms  were  well-kept  and  in  good  order. 
A  few  miles  farther  on  he  caught  his  first  glimpse  of  the 
Hudson  which  he  describes  as  the  most  magnificent  and 
beautiful  scene  he  had  ever  witnessed  in  all  his  travels. 


Putnam  and  Dutchess  Counties  419 

When  the  first  Constitution  of  the  State  was  adopted 
in  1777,  the  only  press  that  could  be  found  where  it 
could  be  printed  was  in  Fishkill.  The  press  belonged 
to  Samuel  Louden,  the  publisher  of  the  New  York  Packet 
and  American  Advertiser,  who  had  left  the  city  of  New 
York  previous  to  the  British  occupation  and  who  first 
published  his  paper  in  Fishkill  on  the  first  of  October, 
1776 — after  the  war  he  returned  to  New  York. 


THE  WHARTON  HOUSE,  FISHKILL 


Besides  the  two  church  edifices  already  mentioned, 
there  are  several  ancient  structures  in  and  near  Fishkill, 
among  which  is  the  Wharton  house  south  of  the  village, 
from  which  Harvey  Birch  made  his  escape  in  the  manner 
described  in  The  Spy.  Another  interesting  house  dating 
from  colonial  times  is  that  called  the  Teller  house  at 
Matteawan.  It  was  built  by  Roger  Brett  in  17 10,  and 
was  long  occupied  by  his  widow,  Madame  Brett,  a  famous 
colonial  dame  of  that  locality.    A  third  house  of  still 


420  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


more  historic  interest  is  situated  about  two  miles  north 
of  Fishkill  Landing  near  the  river;  this  is  the  Verplanck 
House  in  which  Baron  Steuben  had  his  headquarters. 
During  the  Revolution,  many  detachments  of  the  army 
were  quartered  in  this  vicinity;  and  in  1783,  while  waiting 
for  the  signing  of  the  treaty  of  peace,  there  were  numerous 
cantonments  of  the  Americans  on  this  side  of  the  river 
as  well  as  at  Newburgh.    As  the  officers  were  soon  to 


THE  TELLER  HOUSE,  MATTEAWAN 

separate  and  break  the  ties  of  comradeship  that  had 
bound  them  together  for  so  many  years,  it  was  proposed 
that  they  form  a  patriotic  and  beneficent  society  to 
keep  alive  the  memories  of  the  war.  They  chose  as 
their  exemplar  the  Roman  patriot  Cincinnatus,  who, 
having  saved  Rome  at  the  head  of  the  army,  returned 
to  his  farm  and  his  ordinary  avocations.  The  meetings 
of  the  officers  were  held  at  Steuben's  quarters,  and  the 
Order  of  the  Cincinnati  was  the  result,  September  1, 
1783.  It  was  the  ancestral  home  of  Gulian  C.  Verplanck, 
the  author  and  contemporary  of  Irving  who  passed  his 
last  days  in  the  old,  historic  mansion. 


422         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


The  post-road  leaves  Fishkill  village  at  the  old 
Dutch  Church  by  way  of  Wappingers  Falls  to  Pough- 
keepsie.  The  former  gets  its  name  from  the  Wappinger, 
or  Wappingi,  tribe  of  Indians  who  occupied  this  section, 
and  the  creek  was  called  by  them,  Wahamanessing. 


WAPPINGERS  FALLS 


These  Indians  were  drawn  into  the  war  which  their 
kindred  Mohicans  waged  with  Kieft  in  1643-1645.  This 
locality  was  claimed  by  the  Massachusetts  colonies  and 
in  furtherance  of  their  claims,  they  sent  an  expedition 
by  water  in  1659  which  sailed  up  the  Hudson,  notwith- 
standing Stuyvesant's  protests,  and  selected  a  spot  for 
a  settlement  near  the  mouth  of  Wappingers  Creek. 
Stuyvesant  at  once  wrote  to  the  Amsterdam  authorities 
to  send  out  colonists  to  occupy  the  same  section  and  thus 
prevent  the  encroachments  of  the  English.    In  1660, 


Putnam  and  Dutchess  Counties  423 


the  Amsterdam  chamber  approved  the  governor's  plan 
and  directed  him  to  buy  the  lands  from  the  Indians 
and  thus  to  check  the  projected  enterprise  of  the  English. 
In  1663,  occurred  the  second  war  with  the  Esopus  In- 
dians; but  the  Wappingers  showed  themselves  friendly 
to  the  Dutch.  After  the  conclusion  of  peace  in  1664  an 
investigation  showed  that  the  Wappingers  had  been 
tampered  with  by  the  Connecticut  people  but  had 


COLLEGE  HILL,  POUGHKEEPSIE 


refused  to  act  against  the  Dutch  and  to  continue  the 
war. 

"Locust  Grove,"  the  former  estate  of  S.  F.  B.  Morse, 
the  artist,  but  better  known  as  the  inventor  of  the  electric 
telegraph,  was  situated  about  a  mile  south  of  Pough- 
keepsie. 

The  first  patent  to  this  land,  also  including  Pough- 
keepsie,  was  made  to  Peter  Schuyler  by  Governor  Dongan, 
June  2,  1688.    On  the  shore  of  the  Hudson  was  a  sheltered 


424         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


inlet  where  the  Indians  kept  their  canoes.  This  was 
called  by  them  Apokeepsing,  or  Apo-keep-sinck  meaning 
"a  safe  harbor. "  From  this  Indian  name  we  get  Pough- 
keepsie  which  is  the  accepted  way  of  spelling  it,  though 
Lossing  gives  forty-two  different  ways  in  which  the  name 
appears  on  ancient  maps  and  records.    The  "safe  har- 


THE  VAN  KLEECK  HOUSE 


bor"  lay  between  two  cliffs,  the  northern  one  called  by 
the  Dutch  Slange  Klippe,  meaning  Adder  Cliff,  from 
the  number  of  venomous  serpents  found  there,  and  the 
southern  one  named  the  Call  Rock,  from  the  fact  that 
the  settlers  used  to  call  to  the  passing  vessels  from  this 
spot  when  they  desired  the  vessels  to  stop — this  is  im- 
mediately south  of  the  landing-place  of  the  Albany  day 
boat.  Between  these  two  bluffs,  forming  the  sheltered 
cove  of  the  Indians,  leaped  the  brook  Winnakee,  called 
by  the  Dutch  the  Fall  Kill.  There  is  a  so-called  legend 
of  a  pair  of  Indian  lovers  and  the  rescue  of  the  maiden 


Putnam  and  Dutchess  Counties  425 

from  her  captors  and  of  her  being  hidden  in  the  mouth 
of  the  Winnakee,  which  thus  became  a  safe  harbor  for 
her — but,  like  nine-tenths  of  the  so-called  Indian  legends, 
I  am  afraid  it  will  not  hold  water. 

The  log-houses  of  the  first  Dutch  settlers  made  their 
appearance  about  1690,  and  the  first  stone  house  was 
built  by  Baltus  Van  Kleeck  in  1702.  The  first  church 
in  Dutchess  County  was  built  here  about  1720.  It  was 
a  square,  stone  edifice,  and,  like  all  the  early  churches, 
of  startling  ugliness.  It,  as  well  as  the  houses,  was 
loopholed  for  muskets  in  case  of  Indian  attack.  The 
Fall  Kill  furnished  power,  and  its  banks  became  lined 
with  mills,  developing  later  into  factories. 

Poughkeepsie  became  the  county-seat  shortly  after 
the  formation  of  the  counties,  and  the  court-house  was 
ordered  to  be  built  in  1 715 ;  but  it  was  not  completed 
until  1746,  though  courts  were  held  here  in  1734.  The 
court-house  was  burnt  in  1785,  but  was  rebuilt  soon 
after  at  a  cost  of  twelve  thousand  dollars ;  but  it  was  again 
destroyed  by  fire,  September  25,  1808.  By  legislative 
act,  March  7,  1788,  the  State  was  divided  anew  into 
counties,  and  these  into  townships.  Poughkeepsie  became 
a  town  on  that  date,  an  incorporated  village,  March  27, 
1797,  and  a  city,  March  28,  1854. 

While  there  was  no  fighting  there  of  record  during 
the  Revolution,  the  city  is  of  the  greatest  interest  in 
the  history  of  the  State  from  a  political  standpoint.  The 
legislature  met  at  Van  Kleeck's  upon  call  of  Governor 
Clinton  in  January,  1778,  after  Burgoyne's  invasion,  in 
order  to  complete  the  State  government  in  accordance 
with  the  State  constitution;  and  it  was  while  this  legis- 
lature was  in  session  that  the  State  gave  its  assent  to 
the  Articles  of  Confederation  of  the  colonies.  The  legis- 
lature was  also  in  session  here  when  the  news  arrived 


426 


The  World's  Greatest  Street 


on  October  29,  1781,  that  Yorktown  was  taken  and  that 
Comwallis  had  surrendered,  and  gave  expression  to 
its  joy  over  the  prospect  of  peace.  In  1734,  John  Holt 
established  the  New  York  Journal;  but  in  1776  it  was 
removed  to  Poughkeepsie  in  consequence  of  the  British 
occupation,  going  back  to  New  York  in  November, 


THOMPSON  MEMORIAL  LIBRARY,   VASSAR  COLLEGE,  POUGHKEEPSIE 


1783,  upon  the  evacuation  of  the  city  and  the  return  of 
peace. 

But  the  most  important  political  event  which  occurs 
in  the  history  of  the  State  took  place  in  the  rebuilt  court- 
house in  1788.  Upon  June  seventeenth  of  that  year, 
sixty-one  delegates,  representing  twelve  counties,  met 
in  solemn  conclave  to  consider  the  ratification  of  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States.  The  opposition, 
led  by  George  Clinton,  John  Lansing,  Melancthon  Smith, 
William  Harper,  and  Robert  Yates,  was  in  the  majority; 
and  could  a  vote  have  been  taken  at  once,  the  Constitu- 


Putnam  and  Dutchess  Counties  427 


tion  would  have  been  rejected  by  an  overwhelming  vote. 
But  it  was  not  until  July  twenty-sixth  that  a  vote  was 
taken,  and  then  the  convention  ratified  by  a  majority 
of  three  in  a  vote  of  fifty-seven.  This  result  was  due 
to  Chancellor  Livingston,  John  Jay,  and,  especially, 
to  Alexander   Hamilton,   whose  matchless  eloquence 


MAIN  BUILDING  VASSAR  COLLEGE 


and  unanswerable  logic  and  argument  converted  his 
opponents  and  led  to  the  happy  result,  so  momentous 
to  the  cause  of  constitutional  government. 

During  the  Revolution,  vessels  for  the  navy  were 
built  at  Poughkeepsie,  as  ship-building  was  one  of  the 
important  industries  of  the  place.  The  Congress  and 
Montgomery  frigates  were  two  of  the  vessels  constructed 
in  1776;  but  those  built  were  principally  for  river  use, 
as  the  presence  of  the  British  fleet  in  New  York  harbor 
during  the  entire  war  from  1776  to  1783  prevented  the 


428  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


American  vessels  from  getting  to  sea.  In  1824,  Lafayette, 
while  on  his  visit  to  the  United  States,  visited  Pough- 
keepsie  and  was  received  with  great  honor. 

The  city  has  been  famous  for  many  years  for  its 
institutions  of  learning  for  both  sexes,  and  several  business 
colleges  and  schools  of  more  than  local  reputation  are 
located  here.  In  1861  Matthew  Vassar,  a  wealthy 
brewer  of  the  city,  established  Vassar  College,  one  of 
the  pioneer  institutions  of  the  world  for  the  higher  edu- 
cation of  women.  The  Vassar  family  have  added  to 
the  benefactions  of  the  founder,  as  have  other  wealthy 
persons,  so  that  the  work  of  the  college  is  known  through- 
out the  civilized  world.  The  Hudson  is  spanned  by 
the  famous  Poughkeepsie  bridge,  the  only  place  between 
New  York  and  Albany  where  the  river  is  so  crossed. 
The  bridge  is  of  the  cantilever  construction,  though  only 
the  river  spans  are  true  cantilevers.  The  bridge  has 
five  spans  and  is  6767  feet  long,  having  a  height  of  212 
feet  and  a  clearance  of  165  feet  in  the  middle  arches.  It 
was  completed  in  1889  at  a  cost  of  about  two  millions 
of  dollars,  and  is  used  by  the  Poughkeepsie  and  Eastern 
railway,  principally  for  carrying  coal  from  Pennsylvania 
to  eastern  points. 

It  has  been  the  custom  for  several  years  to  hold  in  the 
river  at  Poughkeepsie  the  great  intercollegiate  rowing 
matches;  and  upon  such  occasions  many  thousands  of 
spectators  line  both  sides  of  the  river  wherever  there  is  a 
point  of  vantage.  A  magnificent  view  of  the  distant 
Catskills  and  of  the  tree-embowered  city  may  be  obtained 
from  College  Hill  Park  on  the  east  of  the  city  at  an 
elevation  of  five  hundred  feet. 

Benson  J.  Lossing,  who  did  so  much  to  make  history 
popular  by  his  Pictorial  Field  Book  of  the  Revolution,  was 
a  resident  of  Poughkeepsie.    Some  of  his  other  works 


430  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


were  The  Hudson,  from  the  Wilderness  to  the  Sea,  a  de- 
lightful work  covering  a  great  deal  of  the  ground  of 
this  monograph,  a  History  of  the  City  of  New  York  and 
a  Field  Book  of  the  War  of  1812.  His  "Field  Books"  are 
profusely  illustrated  with  sketches  made  by  himself 
of  many  famous  places  and  houses,  long  since  demolished 
or  crumbled  into  dust.  What  adds  to  the  interest  of 
his  books  is  the  fact  that  he  came  in  personal  contact 
in  his  journeyings  with  many  veritable  sons  and  daugh- 
ters of  the  Revolution  and  occasionally  with  aged  partici- 
pants. His  Field  Book  of  the  Revolution  is  a  mine  of 
information  upon  almost  all  subjects  connected  with 
American  Colonial  and  Revolutionary  history,  though 
not  always  accurate. 

North  of  Poughkeepsie  the  post-road  leads  through 
Hyde  Park,  Staatsburg,  Rhinebeck,  Red  Hook,  and 
Upper  Red  Hook,  all  of  which  are  some  distance  from 
the  river,  though  each  has  its  so-called  "landing."  The 
presence  of  so  many  "landings"  along  the  river  gives 
evidence  of  the  importance  in  days  gone  by  of  the  river 
traffic,  which  has  not  altogether  lost  its  value  on  account 
of  railroad  competition.  The  road  for  the  greater  part 
of  the  distance  between  these  places  is  shaded  by  fine 
trees  and  is  lined  by  the  country  estates  of  many  of  our 
wealthiest  citizens;  and  among  them  are  estates  which 
formerly  belonged  to  some  of  the  famous  literary,  diplo- 
matic, and  military  men  of  the  first  half  of  the  nine- 
teenth century.  Dr.  Hosack,  the  famous  botanist,  had 
his  country  place  at  Hyde  Park,  where  he  was  fre- 
quently visited  by  Philip  Hone,  as  the  latter  mentions 
in  his  diary. 

James  Kirke  Paulding,  the  intimate  friend  of  Irving 
and  his  associate  in  the  Salmagundi  papers,  filled  various 
public  positions,  including  that  of  Secretary  of  the  Navy 


Putnam  and  Dutchess  Counties  431 


during  Van  Buren's  Administration.  He  lived  at  Hyde 
Park  during  the  last  years  of  his  life  at  his  seat  called 
"Placentia, "  and  died  an  octogenarian  in  i860. 

Hyde  Park  was  included  in  the  grant  made  to  Peter 
Fauconier,  Colonel  Caleb  Heathcote,  and  seven  others — 
whence  the  name,  the  "Nine  Partners'  Grant,"  by 
which  it  was  at  first  known — on  May  27,  1697.  Fau- 
conier was  secretary  to  Edward  Hyde,  Lord  Cornbury, 
governor  of  the  province,  and  named  the  tract  Hyde 
Park  in  compliment  to  his  worthless  master.  Staatsburg 
was  first  known  as  Pawling's  purchase,  from  the  first 
owner,  who  died  in  1695.  In  1701,  his  heirs  sold  the 
property  to  Dr.  Samuel  Staats,  who,  after  a  long  residence 
in  India,  returned  to  New  York  with  his  wife,  a  "begum, " 
or  East  Indian  princess.*  Another  of  the  earlier  settlers 
was  Jacobus  Stoutenburgh,  from  whom  one  historian 
says  the  name  of  Staatsburg  was  derived  by  natural 
contraction;  but  the  derivation  from  Staats  is  more 
likely. 

Among  the  passengers  on  the  ship  bringing  Peter 
Stuyvesant  to  New  Amsterdam,  was  a  German  named 
William  Beckman,  who  came  from  the  valley  of  the 
Rhine.  His  son,  Colonel  Henry  Beckman,  became  pos- 
sessed of  the  land  north  of  Staatsburg  by  a  grant  made 
to  him  by  Queen  Anne,  June  17,  1703.  The  settlers  he 
induced  to  occupy  his  grant  were  principally  Germans 
from  the  Rhine  country,  and  out  of  the  first  syllable  of 
his  name  and  from  the  name  of  their  beloved  river  in 
Germany  was  formed  the  name  Rhinebeck.  The  paten- 
tee's name  was  also  spelled  Beekman,  and  it  is  by  this 
spelling  that  it  is  best  known.  The  leather  district  of 
New  York  City  known  as  "The  Swamp"  was  originally 

*  See  The  Begum 's  Daughter,  a  novel  of  the  time  of  Leisler,  by  Edwin 
Lassetter  Bynncr,  1890. 


432  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Beekman's  Swamp,  out  of  which  Beekman  Street  leads 
to  Park  Row. 

The  first  recorded  purchase  of  this  section  was  made 
by  Jacobus  and  Hendrick  Kip  from  three  Esopus  Indians 
in  1688;  and  on  June  2,  1688,  Governor  Thomas  Dongan 
gave  a  confirmatory  patent  of  the  Kipsburgh  Manor  to 
Roosa,  Elting,  and  the  two  Kips.  Hendrick  Kip  built 
his  home  upon  his  south  lot  near  the  Hudson  in  1700; 
it  afterwards  came  into  the  possession  of  Beekman,  and 
has  been  known  as  the  Beekman  house  and  as  "  Heermance 
Place."  It  is  still  standing  and  gives  many  signs  of 
its  antiquity.  As  Beekman's  grant  of  1703  covered  the 
same  territory  as  the  Kip  patent,  the  colonel  must  have 
made  some  composition  with  the  previous  patentees. 
Beekman's  grant  bordered  the  Hudson  from  Staatsburg 
to  Red  Hook. 

Above  the  Beekman  grant  was  another  grant  given 
to  Peter  Schuyler,  called  the  Magdalen  Island  Purchase. 
There  were  Dutch  settlers  in  here  before  1690;  and  in 
the  following  decade  others  came  in  and  bought  property 
both  in  Rhinebeck  and  in  Red  Hook;  for  we  find  that 
on  December  16,  1737,  there  was  formed  the  Rhinebeck 
Precinct  of  Dutchess  County,  which  included  "The  land 
purchased  from  the  Widow  Pawling  and  her  children  by 
Dr.  Samuel  Staats;  all  the  land  granted  to  Adrien,  Roosa, 
and  Cotbe;  the  land  patented  by  Henry  Beekman,  and 
the  land  granted  to  Colonel  Peter  Schuyler,  called  the 
Magdalen  Island  Purchase." 

The  two  towns  of  Rhinebeck  and  Red  Hook  were, 
therefore,  closely  joined  in  early  days;  though  the  latter 
was  not  settled  by  the  Dutch  until  between  1 713  and 
1727.  Germans,  Palatines,  and  Huguenots  helped  to 
settle  and  develop  both  towns;  and  the  names  of  the 
inhabitants  of  these  towns  to-day  show  their  descent 


Putnam  and  Dutchess  Counties  433 

from  the  original  white  occupiers  of  the  land.  Red 
Hook  received  its  name  from  the  Dutch,  who  called  it 
Roode  Hoeck  from  a  marsh  near  Tivoli,  which,  when  first 
seen  by  the  newcomers,  was  covered  with  ripe  cran- 
berries. The  aborigines  occupying  Rhinebeck  Precinct 
were  called  Sepescoots ;  and  when  the  very  earliest  whites 
came  to  this  locality,  there  were  still  visible  at  Upper 
Red  Hook  the  remains  of  the  Indian  warriors  who  had 
fallen  in  a  great  battle  between  the  Wappingers  and  their 
hereditary  enemies,  the  Iroquois. 

Between  Rhinebeck  and  Red  Hook  is  "Rokeby, "  a 
magnificent  estate  belonging  to  one  of  the  Astor  family. 
It  was  originally  a  part  of  the  immense  Livingston  domain 
and  came  into  the  possession  of  General  John  Armstrong, 
an  officer  in  the  Revolution  and  a  member  of  Gates's 
staff,  whose  wife  was  a  sister  of  Chancellor  Livingston. 
Armstrong  was  a  major  at  the  close  of  the  War  for  Inde- 
pendence, and  was  the  author  of  the  inflammatory 
addresses  privately  circulated  among  the  officers  in  the 
cantonments  at  Newburgh  in  1783.  Congress  had  been 
unable  for  a  long  time  to  pay  the  soldiers  of  the  Continen- 
tal army  who  were  now  about  to  be  disbanded  and  sent 
to  their  homes  in  poverty.  These  addresses,  instigated, 
so  it  is  said,  by  General  Gates,  were  intended  to  stir  up 
the  Congress  to  take  some  action  in  regard  to  the  claims 
of  the  soldiers  rather  than  to  excite  the  army  to  take 
matters  into  their  own  hands  and  overthrow  the  civil 
authority.  The  wisdom  of  Washington  prevented  any 
bad  results  from  following  these  ill-considered  addresses; 
and  Armstrong  was  acquitted  of  all  evil  intentions,  and 
his  act  was  declared  to  have  been  inspired  by  patriotism. 
Armstrong  later  became  United  States  Senator,  Minister 
to  France,  brigadier- general  in  the  army  and  Secretary 
of  War  during  the  second  war  with  Great  Britain.  The 
28 


434         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


General  Armstrong,  privateer,  whose  famous  fight  with 
the  ships  of  the  British  fleet  at  Fayal  in  the  Azores 
prevented  the  co-operation  of  the  British  vessels  with 
Pakenham  at  the  attack  upon  Jackson  at  New  Orleans 
in  1815,  was  named  after  him.  He  was  the  author  of 
a  Life  of  his  brother-in-law,  General  Montgomery,  a 
Life  of  General  Wayne,  and  Historical  Notices  of  the  War 
of  1812.  His  daughter  married  William  B.  Astor,  and 
thus  "Rokeby"  came  into  possession  of  the  Astors. 

At  Red  Hook,  we  come  again  across  our  old  friend 
Martin  Krigier,  this  time  far  removed  from  his  tavern 
opposite  the  Bowling  Green.  During  the  second  Esopus 
War  of  1663,  he  was  a  captain  in  command  of  a  company 
of  soldiers  campaigning  in  this  vicinity  and  on  the  west 
side  of  the  Hudson.  Some  of  the  Esopus  Indians  took 
refuge  on  the  east  side,  and  the  doughty  captain  pre- 
vailed upon  some  friendly  Indians  to  guide  him  and  his 
command  to  the  hiding-place  of  the  refugees.  Here  he 
partially  surprised  them  and  killed  several. 

The  post-road  still  continues  to  be  lined  with  elegant 
estates;  and  as  we  get  farther  north,  we  find  that  many 
of  them  belonged  to  persons  who  were  closely  allied  to 
the  Livingston  family,  either  by  blood  or  marriage. 
One  of  the  most  famous  of  these  estates  of  the  present 
is  "Ellerslie,"  belonging  to  ex-Governor  and  ex- Vice- 
President  Levi  P.  Morton,  the  banker.  Mr.  Morton 
has  here  on  his  country-place  the  most  famous  herd  of 
Guernsey  cattle  in  this  country,  if  not  in  the  world. 
The  values  of  some  of  them  are  almost  unbelievable, 
and  the  output  as  quoted  of  individual  cows  in  milk, 
cream  and  butter  sounds  fabulous. 

Another  interesting  estate,  like  "Ellerslie,"  near  the 
river,  is  "Montgomery  Place,"  built  by  the  widow  of 
General  Montgomery,  in  which  she  passed  fifty  years  of 


Putnam  and  Dutchess  Counties  435 


childless  widowhood.  She  was  born  Janet  Livingston, 
a  sister  of  the  Chancellor,  and  married  Montgomery  a 
few  years  before  the  Revolution.  She  accompanied 
him  as  far  as  the  Schuyler  mansion  near  Saratoga  when 
he  departed  on  the  Canadian  expedition.  When  he  bade 
his  wife  good-bye,  he  said:  "You  will  never  have  to  blush 
for  your  Montgomery. "  In  18 18,  the  State  of  New  York 
caused  his  remains  to  be  brought  from  Quebec  for  burial 
at  St.  Paul's,  New  York.  The  body  was  brought  down 
the  Hudson  on  the  steamer  Richmond  with  all  the  honors 
that  could  be  paid  to  the  dead  hero.  Mrs.  Montgomery 
had  been  notified  as  to  the  time  the  vessel  would  pass 
her  property,  and  she  was  left  alone  upon  the  porch 
while  the  funeral  cortege  passed.  The  vessel  slowed 
down,  while  the  band  played  a  dirge  and  the  escort 
presented  arms.  When  her  attendants  went  to  her, 
they  found  Mrs.  Montgomery  in  a  swoon  upon  the  floor. 
What  must  have  been  her  feelings  as  the  dead  lover  of 
her  youth  was  borne  past,  and  she  thought  of  the  parting 
forty-two  years  before! 


CHAPTER  XVII 

COLUMBIA  AND  RENSSELAER  COUNTIES 

LBANY  County  was  one  of  the 
original  counties  of  the  province, 
formed  November  I,  1683.  It  ex- 
tended north  of  Dutchess  County 
on  the  east  side  of  the  Hudson 
River  to  the  northern  bounds  of 
the  proprietary,  and  included 
about  everything  on  the  west 
side  of  the  river  above  Ulster  County.  A  number  of 
counties  have  been  formed  out  of  the  original  area,  and 
among  those  on  the  east  side  of  the  Hudson  are  Columbia 
and  Rensselaer  Counties,  the  former,  April  4,  1786,  and 
the  latter,  February  7,  1791. 

North  of  the  Wappinger  Indians,  above  Red  Hook, 
were  the  tribe  of  the  Mohican,  or  Mohegan,  Indians, 
occupying  all  of  these  two  counties.  The  ancient  seat 
of  their  council  fire  was  at  Schodac,  a  corruption  of  the 
Mohican  Esquatak,  "the  fire-place  of  the  nation." 
They  also  had  a  fortified  village,  or  castle,  at  Greenbush, 
opposite  Albany,  for  protection  from  the  Mohawks. 
Mention  has  already  been  made  of  the  Indian  battlefield 
at  Upper  Red  Hook.  This  battle  occurred  in  1628, 
at  which  time  the  Mohicans  were  driven  from  their 
ancestral  home,  and  under  their  chief  Uncas  sought 

4.16 


Columbia  and  Rensselaer  Counties  437 

refuge  among  the  Pequods  in  Connecticut.  The  prin- 
cipal stronghold  of  Uncas  was  at  Norwich,  where,  during 
a  war  with  the  Narragansetts  he  captured  their  chief 
Miantonomah  by  a  ruse.  Miantonomah  was  afterwards 
put  to  death  by  Uncas  under  orders  from  the  English 
after  a  semblance  of  a  trial.  The  Mohicans  gradually 
dwindled  in  numbers  and  were  deprived  of  their  lands; 
so  that  at  the  time  of  the  Revolution  they  occupied  lands 
in  the  valley  of  the  Housatonic  and  were  called  the 
Stockbridge  Indians.  They  were  allies  of  the  patriots 
during  the  war,  probably  because  their  ancient  enemies, 
the  Mohawks,  were  on  the  side  of  the  British.  A  number 
of  them,  including  their  chief  Nimham,  were  killed  in 
September,  1778,  in  a  battle  with  the  British  partisans 
in  the  northeast  corner  of  Van  Cortlandt  Park  on  the 
"Indian  Field,"  which  has  been  marked  by  an  appro- 
priate cairn  and  tablet  erected  by  Bronx  Chapter  of 
the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution. 

From  Rhinebeck,  the  post-road  passes  into  the  town 
of  Clermont  in  Columbia  County  and  we  come  upon 
the  property  of  the  Livingston  family,  one  of  the  most 
famous  in  the  annals  of  the  State.  Its  founder  was  Robert 
Livingston,  the  son  of  a  Scotch  clergyman,  who  was 
obliged  for  political  reasons  to  seek  refuge  in  Holland. 
Here  Robert  acquired  a  knowledge  of  the  Dutch  language 
as  well  as  of  the  French.  He  came  to  New  York  from 
Holland  in  1674  and  appeared  at  Albany,  where  he 
became  clerk  of  Indian  affairs.  In  1679,  he  married 
Alida  Schuyler,  the  widow  of  one  of  the  Van  Rensselaers. 
He  became  a  friend  of  Governor  Dongan,  and  when  that 
governor  granted  the  charter  to  the  city  of  Albany  in  1686, 
Livingston  became  town  clerk.  He  was  not  on  friendly 
terms  with  Leisler,  and,  with  Bayard,  was  chiefly  in- 
strumental in  bringing  about  the  executions  of  Leisler 


438         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


and  his  son-in-law  Milborne.  The  latter  saw  Livingston 
in  the  crowd  at  his  execution  and  called  to  him  from 
the  scaffold:  "You  have  caused  my  death,  but  for  this 
I  will  implead  you  before  the  bar  of  God." 

Governor  Fletcher  was  not  friendly  to  Livingston, 
and  the  latter  went  to  England,  where  he  ingratiated 
himself  with  those  in  power  and  came  back  with  life 
appointments  to  several  lucrative  positions — these 
Fletcher  declined  to  notice,  as  well  as  Livingston's 
claims  for  subsistence  furnished  the  troops  during  the 
wars  with  the  French.  With  Lord  Bellomont,  Livingston 
was  more  successful.  Piracy  was  then  rampant  upon 
the  ocean,  and  Livingston  proposed  to  the  governor 
that  he  and  others  would  fit  out  a  vessel  and  capture 
and  destroy  the  pirates  and  sell  the  captured  cargoes 
for  the  benefit  of  those  fitting  out  the  vessel.  Bellomont 
approved  the  scheme  and  became  one  of  the  associates, 
another  being  Frederick  Philipse;  and  it  was  whispered 
that  the  king  was  interested  in  the  enterprise.  Living- 
ston recommended  Captain  William  Kidd  as  the  com- 
mander, and  the  vessel  was  fitted  out  and  started  on  the 
famous  cruise  which  brought  Kidd  to  the  gallows  and 
disgrace  to  his  backers. 

To  be  a  great  land-owner  was  the  supreme  passion 
and  ambition  of  Livingston's  life.  For  this  purpose  he 
sought  office,  saved  his  money,  went  to  England,  changed 
his  politics  to  please  Bellomont,  and  attached  himself 
to  those  who  would  give  him  the  best  opportunities  to 
advance  his  purpose.  The  fortune  of  his  wife  assisted 
him  in  carrying  out  his  desire.  He  had  been  in  the 
country  but  five  years  when  he  applied  to  Governor 
Andros  for  permission  to  buy  from  the  Indians  a  tract 
of  land  on  Roelof  Jansen's  kill  on  the  east  side  of  the 
Hudson,  then  in  the  possession  of  a  few  remaining  Indians 


Columbia  and  Rensselaer  Counties  439 

and  squaws.  The  purchase  of  two  thousand  acres  was 
consummated  July  12,  1683,  and  confirmed  by  the  Dongan 
patent  of  November  4,  1684.  A  second  petition  was 
made,  June  3,  1685,  to  buy  a  tract  of  six  hundred  acres 
called  by  the  natives  "Potthoke, "  or  "Potkoke,"  now 
Claverack.  These  two  tracts  of  very  indefinite  metes 
and  bounds  were  formed  into  a  manor,  and  other  pur- 
chases followed  from  time  to  time.  The  first  manor- 
house  of  the  Livingstons,  erected  in  1699,  stood  on  the 
bank  of  the  Hudson  in  the  present  township  of  Livingston, 
Dutchess  County,  just  north  of  where  Roelof  Jansen's 
kill  enters  the  river.  For  the  first  few  years,  by  reason 
of  the  wars  with  the  French,  settlement  on  the  manor 
was  slow.  In  1702,  Bellomont  writes:  " I  am  told  Living- 
ston has  on  his  great  grant  of  sixteen  miles  long  and 
twenty-four  broad  but  four  or  five  cottages  occupied 
by  men  too  poor  to  be  farmers,  but  who  are  his 
vassals." 

After  the  close  of  the  war,  Livingston  built  saw-  and 
grist-mills  and  a  new  manor-house  near  the  river  and 
induced  settlers  to  come  to  his  manor.  Louis  XIV. 
was  busy  about  this  time  in  laying  waste  the  Palatinate, 
and  the  poor  Protestants  fled  from  their  desolated  country 
to  England,  where  they  aroused  the  sympathy  and  se- 
cured the  assistance  of  Queen  Anne  and  others,  and  some 
three  thousand  of  them  were  sent  to  America.  Governor 
Hunter  writes  to  the  Lords  of  Trade  in  17 10:  "I  have 
now  settled  the  Palatines  upon  good  land  upon  both 
sides  of  Hudson's  River,  about  one  hundred  miles  up 
adjacent  to  the  Pines;  I  have  planted  them  in  five  villages, 
three  on  the  east  side  of  the  River  upon  six  thousand 
acres  of  Mr.  Livingston  about  two  miles  from  Roelof 
Jansen's  kill."  The  settlements  on  the  two  banks  of 
the  river  were  known  respectively  as  the  East  Camp 


44°         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


and  the  West  Camp;  and  Hunter  paid  Livingston  four 
hundred  pounds  for  the  land  taken. 

These  poor  expatriates  had  to  be  housed  and  fed 
at  the  public  expense,  and  Livingston  received  the  con- 
tract to  supply  them  with  bread  and  beer.  There  were 
some  suggestions  of  sharp  practice  (graft)  on  his  part, 
but  he  succeeded  in  satisfying  the  governor  of  the  honesty 
of  his  dealings.  The  Palatines  had  expected  to  be  located 
on  farms  of  their  own,  but  instead,  they  were  located  on 
lands  contiguous  to  the  "Pines"  mentioned  in  the  gov- 
ernor's letter,  from  which  they  were  expected  to  get 
pitch,  tar,  and  turpentine  for  the  use  of  the  queen's  navy. 
Their  dissatisfaction  showed  itself  in  riotous  actions  so 
that  troops  had  to  be  called  in  to  suppress  their  turbu- 
lence. After  two  years  they  were  left  to  shift  for  them- 
selves as  the  burden  on  the  public  for  their  support  was 
becoming  too  heavy.  Many  of  them  departed  to  ad- 
joining manors,  to  the  West  Camp  across  the  river,  to 
the  valley  of  the  Mohawk  (General  Herkimer,  the  hero 
of  Oriskany,  was  descended  from  them,  and  Palatine 
Bridge  marks  their  settlement),  and  to  Pennsylvania 
to  join  others  of  their  countrymen  who  had  settled  there 
and  whose  descendants  to-day  are  known  as  "Pennsyl- 
vania Dutch." 

The  bounds  of  Livingston's  property,  based  upon  the 
Indian  nomenclature,  were  in  dispute  and  very  indefinite. 
To  remedy  this  Livingston  had  his  manor  surveyed  by 
the  surveyor-general  of  the  province  in  17 14.  A  map 
was  made  showing  the  metes  and  bounds  and  the  dis- 
tances were  carefully  noted;  and  the  computation  gives 
162,240  acres,  so  that  either  the  Indians  were  very  gener- 
ous in  their  acreage  or  the  purchaser  was  very  grasping 
in  his  measurements — more  probably  the  latter.  The 
confirmatory  patent  passed  the  seals  October  1,  1 715 ;  it 


Columbia  and  Rensselaer  Counties  441 

secured  Livingston's  title  and  gave  him  representation 
in  the  provincial  assembly.  No  road  appears  traversing 
the  manor  from  north  to  south,  but  we  must  believe 
that  the  Indian  trail  existed.  One  of  Livingston's  dis- 
putes was  with  Hendrick  Van  Rensselaer,  who  owned 
the  Clermont  patent  and  who  claimed  that  the  manor 
encroached  upon  his  land.  Livingston  yielded,  though 
some  portion  of  Clermont  must  have  returned  to  his 
possession  as  we  shall  see  presently.  History  describes 
the  manor-lord  as  a  canny  Scot,  always  looking  for  the 
main  chance;  a  complaisant  politician,  willing  to  set  his 
sails  to  every  favoring  wind,  greedy  and  avaricious  of 
land  and  money  to  the  last. 

The  first  manor-lord  left  by  his  will  thirteen  thousand 
acres  in  Clermont  to  his  second  son  Robert,  and  all  the 
residue  of  his  estate  to  his  eldest  son  Philip,  a  New  York 
merchant,  who  spent  his  summers  on  his  manor;  he, 
in  turn,  was  succeeded  by  his  son  Robert,  the  third 
manor-lord.  Massachusetts  claimed  under  its  charter 
as  far  as  the  Pacific  Ocean,  and  about  1750,  disputes 
arose  with  the  Livingstons  in  regard  to  the  eastern 
boundary  of  their  patent;  riots  followed,  and  people 
of  each  province  were  jailed  by  the  other  for  trespass, 
so  that  a  mild  sort  of  war  ensued  between  the  two  dis- 
putants. The  dispute  in  regard  to  the  boundary  extended 
along  the  whole  line  of  the  provinces,  ending  in  the  ad- 
dition to  all  the  New  York  counties  on  the  line  of  a  tract 
of  land  known  from  its  shape  as  the  Oblong. 

In  1795,  an  attempt  was  made  by  the  Livingston 
tenants  to  destroy  the  manor-lord's  titles  and  to  establish 
the  fact  that  the  land  belonged  to  the  State,  in  accordance 
with  certain  principles  established  as  a  result  of  the 
Revolution — but  the  attempt  was  unsuccessful.  The 
pernicious  practice  of  leasing  the  farms  to  the  tenants 


442         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


instead  of  selling  them  in  fee  resulted  in  numerous  dis- 
putes and  in  the  failure  of  the  tenants  to  pay  their  rents ; 
so  that  it  became  necessary  to  employ  the  aid  of  the 
sheriff  and,  finally,  of  the  military  force  of  the  State  to 
collect  the  rents  and  to  put  down  the  riots  and  dis- 
turbances that  resulted.  These  Anti-Rent  wars,  as 
they  were  called,  culminated  about  1 844  upon  the  Living- 
ston and  Rensselaer  manors;  and  upon  a  final  appeal 
to  the  legislature,  the  contention  of  the  tenants  was  up- 
held and  the  manor-lords  lost  their  property.  The 
decision  was  probably  unjust,  but  the  politician  of  that 
era  gained  power  and  influence  by  adopting  the  popular 
side.* 

Dirck  Wessel  Ten  Broeck,  mayor  of  Albany,  bought 
twelve  hundred  acres  in  Clermont  from  Livingston  on 
October  26,  1694,  and  settled  the  land.  There  were 
already  three  squatters  near  Roelof  Jansen's  kill.  Ten 
Broeck's  son  of  the  same  name  came  to  Clermont  about 
1704-6,  after  retiring  from  business  in  Albany,  and  re- 
mained until  his  death  in  171 7. 

Philip  Livingston,  the  second  manor-lord,  had  five 
sons:  Robert,  the  third  manor-lord;  Philip  Van  Brugh, 
a  merchant  of  New  York,  whose  house  we  passed  at 
Dobbs  Ferry;  John,  a  Tory;  Philip,  the  signer  of  the 
Declaration  of  Independence,  and  William,  the  war 
governor  of  New  Jersey.  Robert  Livingston,  the  son 
of  the  first  manor-lord,  who  inherited  the  thirteen  thou- 
sand acres,  built  an  elegant  mansion  in  1730,  which  he 
called  Clermont,  and  lived  upon  his  land.    His  son, 

*  See  Cooper's  three  novels  covering  this  matter,  which  should  be 
read  in  the  following  order;  Satanstoe,  Chainbearer,  and  The  Redskins.  The 
first  is  the  best  description  of  colonial  life  I  have  ever  read,  the  second  is  not 
so  good,  and  the  last,  which  covers  the  anti-rent  period,  I  have  never  been 
able  to  finish. 


Columbia  and  Rensselaer  Counties  443 


Robert  R.,  was  a  judge  of  the  supreme  court  of  the 
province,  and  the  judge's  son,  Robert  R.,  junior,  was  a 
member  of  the  Continental  Congress,  being  one  of  the 
Committee  of  Five  to  draft  the  Declaration,  minister  of 
foreign  affairs,  chancellor  of  the  State  of  New  York,  and 
minister  to  France.    At  the  time  of  his  marriage,  the 


BUILT  BY  WILLIAM  K.  LUDLOW,  I786,  NOW  IN  POSSESSION  OF  HIS  GREAT- 
GRANDSON,   R.  FULTON  LUDLOW,  CLAVERACK,   N.  Y. 

Chancellor,  as  he  is  best  known,  did  not  like  to  disturb 
his  widowed  mother  at  her  mansion  and  so  built  a  smaller 
house  close  by.  In  1777,  during  Burgoyne's  invasion 
from  the  north,  General  Vaughan  with  three  thousand 
British  troops  tried  to  push  on  to  Albany  from  the  south 
and  to  create  a  diversion  in  favor  of  Burgoyne.  He 
ascended  the  river  as  far  as  Kingston,  which  he  burned, 
and  some  of  his  troops  crossed  to  the  east  side  of  the  river 


444         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


for  the  purpose  of  destroying  the  property  of  the  arch 
rebel  Livingston.  As  a  result,  both  of  the  Clermont 
mansions  were  destroyed,  but  were  rebuilt  later. 

As  early  as  1797,  the  Chancellor  engaged  with  an 
Englishman  named  Nesbit  and  another  named  Brunei, 
the  father  of  the  designer  and  constructor  of  the  steam- 
ship Great  Eastern,  in  experiments  with  steam  navigation. 
The  trials  were  made  in  the  Hudson  adjoining  his  prop- 
erty, but  were  unsuccessful.  Then  came  the  Chan- 
cellor's appointment  as  minister  to  France  in  1801,  and 
his  acquaintance  in  that  country  with  Robert  Fulton, 
and  his  experiments  in  a  similar  direction.  Backed  by 
Livingston's  wealth  and  influence,  Fulton  pushed  his 
experiments  to  a  successful  issue;  and  in  September, 
1807,  the  Clermont  made  her  epoch-making  trip  to  Albany 
and  back;  and  steam  navigation  was  an  accomplished 
fact.  Fulton  married  a  daughter  of  Walter  Livingston, 
and  his  grandson,  Robert  Fulton  Ludlow,  has  a  Fulton 
museum  at  his  residence  in  Claverack.  In  addition  to 
his  aid  to  Fulton,  the  Chancellor  was  the  first  to  introduce 
into  this  country  the  breed  of  merino  sheep.  He  died 
at  Clermont  in  1813. 

To  show  the  difficulties  of  travel  in  those  early  days, 
a  letter  from  Mrs.  Livingston  to  the  judge,  her  husband, 
is  appended: 

Clermont,  July  12,  1776. 

With  joy  I  embrace  the  opportunity  of  conversing  with 
you  by  the  Manor  sloop.  .  .  .  We  set  out  from  New  York 
in  so  great  a  hurry  that  I  could  not  give  myself  the  pleasure 
of  seeing,  nor  the  pain  of  parting  with  you.  We  had  a  very 
pleasant  ride  the  first  day,  which  brought  us  to  Croton.  Here 
we  were  detained  until  the  next  day  by  rain,  but  it  is  impossible 
to  describe  this  day's  journey;  the  crags,  precipices  and 
mountains  that  we  had  a  view  of,  together  with  the  excessive 


Columbia  and  Rensselaer  Counties  445 


badness  of  the  roads,  that  were  laid  bare  by  streams  of  water 
taking  their  course  through  their  midst,  which  made  it  very 
disagreeable  to  me.  We  could  go  no  farther  that  day  than 
Warren's,  who  lives  in  the  midst  of  the  Highlands,  but  the 
next  day  made  up  for  the  fatigue  of  this.  We  had  a  most 
charming  journey  the  remaining  part  of  the  day.  We  break- 
fasted at  Van  Wyck's  [the  Wharton  house],  who  lives  at 
Fishkill;  dined  at  Poughkeepsie,  slept  at  Rhinebeck,  where 
we  arrived  at  six  o'clock.  The  next  morning,  which  was 
Sunday,  we  came  home  at  nine  o'clock  and  found  the  family 
all  in  good  health  and  spirits. 

Several  references  have  been  made  to  Roelof  Jansen's 
kill,  which  is  the  principal  stream  in  the  southern  part 
of  Columbia  County.  Roelof  Jansen,  after  whom  it  was 
named,  was  overseer  of  the  orphans'  chamber  (corres- 
ponding to  surrogate)  at  Albany  and  assistant  superin- 
tendent of  farms  for  Patroon  Van  Rensselaer;  and  in 
advancing  the  interests  of  his  employer  bought  a  tract 
of  land  in  this  neighborhood  from  the  Indians.  His 
wife  was  Annetje  Jans;  and  in  1636  he  obtained  a  grant 
from  Director  Van  Twiller  on  the  west  side  of  the  Heere 
Straat,  which  later  became  the  "Dominie's  bouwerie" 
and  part  of  the  property  of  the  Trinity  corporation,  as 
we  have  already  seen.  The  old  bridge  by  which  the 
post-road  crosses  the  stream  dates  back  to  colonial 
days.  The  other  important  streams  in  the  county  are 
Claverack  Creek  and  Kinderhook  Creek. 

The  first  road  traversing  Columbia  County  from 
north  to  south  was  the  old  post-road,  passing  through 
Clermont,  of  which  it  is  the  principal  street,  Livingston, 
Claverack,  and  Kinderhook.  The  Highland  Turnpike 
Company  had  toll-gates  along  the  road  during  the  time 
it  was  responsible  for  maintenance  of  the  highway. 
From  Poughkeepsie,  where  the  road  touches  a  river 


446 


The  World's  Greatest  Street 


town,  it  passes  inland,  varying  in  distance  from  the 
river  from  two  to  six  miles;  but  its  former  importance  is 
shown  by  the  fact  that  along  its  course  are  a  score  of 
towns  and  villages,  while  upon  the  river  there  are  only 
about  half  a  dozen.  Besides  the  numerous  estates, 
Columbia  and  Rensselaer  Counties  have  been,  and 


Hi  I 


THE  BLUE  STORE 

are,  agricultural.  With  the  exception  of  Lancaster 
County  in  Pennsylvania,  this  section  presents  the  most 
magnificent  farms  I  have  ever  seen  anywhere,  show- 
ing that  Dutch  neatness  and  thrift  have  been  qual- 
ities inherited  by  the  present  inhabitants  from  their 
Dutch,  German,  and  Huguenot  ancestors.  Dr.  John 
Romeyn  Brodhead,  who  did  such  invaluable  work 
in  codifying  the  colonial  records  of  the  State,  was 


Columbia  and  Rensselaer  Counties  447 

a  resident  of  Clermont  and  occupied  a  mansion  known 
as  the  "Brick  House." 

Beyond  Clermont,  we  come  to  Blue  Store.  This 
was  a  tavern  and  change-house  where  the  stages  re- 
ceived a  relay  of  horses  in  the  old  coaching  days.  The 
peculiar  name  was  given  to  the  tavern  from  its  being 


CITY  OF  NIEU  ORANGE  AS  SKETCHED  IN   1 673 


painted  blue,  a  color  which  present  proprietors  still 
retain.  The  old  post-road  continued  on  from  this  point 
by  way  of  Claverack  and  Kinderhook;  but  when  Hudson 
became  an  important  place,  the  stages  turned  here 
toward  the  river,  stopping  at  Kellogg's  Tavern  in  Hudson- 
Between  New  York  and  Albany,  the  Hudson  River 
was  divided  by  the  ancient  navigators  into  "reaches," 
fourteen  in  number.  One  of  these,  on  account  of  the 
quantities  of  clover,  was  called  by  the  Dutch,  die  Klaver 


448 


The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Rack,  or  the  Clover  Reach,  a  name  surviving  to-day  in 
Claverack.  It  is  a  quiet,  pretty  place  where  there  are  still 
standing  several  houses  dating  from  colonial  days  and  sev- 
eral educational  establishments  of  considerable  reputation. 
In  May,  1649,  Van  Slechtenhorst,  commissary  to 


REFORMED  CHURCH,  CLAVERACK.     ERECTED  A.D.   1 767 


Patroon  Van  Rensselaer,  bought  for  his  master  from 
the  Indians  a  large  tract  of  land  about  Claverack.  This 
purchase  was  declared  void  by  Stuyvesant  in  July,  1652, 
but  the  order  was  afterwards  modified  by  the  Amsterdam 
chamber.  The  purchase  was  confirmed  by  Dongan, 
November  4,  1685,  as  well  as  the  other  purchases  of  the 
manor-lord,  who  owned  about  one  hundred  and  seventy 


29 


449 


450 


The  World's  Greatest  Street 


thousand  acres  in  Columbia  County.  Johannes  Van 
Rensselaer  formed  the  Claverack  tract  into  the  Lower 
Manor  of  Rensselaerswyck.  The  first  settler  at  Claver- 
ack was  Jan  Frans  Van  Hoesen  in  1662,  and  the  first 
English  grant  was  to  Major  Abraham  Staats  by  Governor 
Nicolls,  March  25,  1667.  He  must  have  been  settled 
here  some  time  before  this,  however;  for  in  1664,  during 
a  war  between  the  Mohicans  and  the  Mohawks,  we  read 
of  the  former  destroying  cattle  at  Greenbush,  burning 
the  house  of  Abraham  Staats  at  Claverack,  and  ravaging 
the  whole  east  side  of  the  river.  The  two  Labadists, 
Danckers  and  Sluyter,  who  visited  Claverack  in  1680, 
state  there  are  fine  farms  under  cultivation,  speak  of 
the  fertility  of  the  soil  and  of  the  abundance  of  deer, 
wild  turkeys,  grapes,  etc.,  and  say  the  settlers  are  well 
provided. 

After  the  fiasco  with  the  Palatines  on  Livingston 
Manor,  many  of  them  came  and  settled  in  Claverack. 
It  became  the  first  county-seat  of  Columbia  County; 
and  the  court-house,  erected  in  1786,  is  still  standing. 
The  county-seat  was  removed  to  Hudson  in  1805. 
General  James  Watson  Webb  was  born  within  the 
town,  and  Samuel  J.  Tilden  was  born  in  New  Lebanon, 
not  far  away. 

Kinderhook  {kinder,  children,  and  hoeck,  a  neck  of 
land)  received  its  name  from  the  Dutch  from  the  num- 
ber of  Indian  children  seen  playing  on  the  banks  of 
the  river  by  some  of  the  early  navigators  of  the 
stream.  The  town  formerly  extended  to  the  river  bank, 
but  the  town  of  Stuyvesant  was  cut  off  from  it  in  1823. 
The  village,  through  which  the  ancient  road  passes,  is 
some  six  miles  from  the  river.  About  a  mile  and  a 
half  south  of  the  village  centre  is  "  Lindenwald, "  built 
in   1797  by  Judge  William  P.  Van   Ness,  who  was 


Columbia  and  Rensselaer  Counties  451 

Burr's  second  in  his  duel  with  Hamilton.  Washington 
Irving  was  a  frequent  visitor  at  the  judge's  house  and 
did  a  good  deal  of  his  literary  work  there,  including 


THF  VAN  BUREN  MONUMENT,  KINDERHOOK 


Rip  Van  Winkle  and  A  Legend  of  Sleepy  Hollow.  The 
scenes  of  the  latter  are  actually  laid  in  Kinderhook, 
and  the  characters  are  drawn  from  people  that  Irving 
knew.    Jesse  Merwin,  the  village  schoolmaster  and  a 


452 


The  World's  Greatest  Street 


personal  friend  of  Irving's,  furnished  the  character 
of  Ichabod  Crane,  though  Merwin's  personality  was 
not  like  that  of  the  Yankee  pedagogue;  Katrina  Van 
Alen  was  the  Katrina  Van  Tassel  of  the  story,  and 
Brom  Bones  was  supplied  by  another  resident  of  the 
neighborhood. 

In  1 841,  after  his  retirement  from  office,  Martin 
Van  Buren,  eighth  President  of  the  United  States,  came 
back  to  his  birthplace  and  bought  the  Van  Ness  estate, 
which  he  named  "  Lindenwald. "  Here  he  kept  open 
house  and  was  visited  by  many  of  the  leading  men  of 
the  country,  being  assisted  in  dispensing  hospitality 
by  his  son,  who  was  dubbed  "Prince  John."  Van 
Buren  was  spoken  of  by  his  fellow  Democrats  as  "The 
Sage  of  Kinderhook, "  but  his  political  rivals  referred 
to  him  as  "The  Old  Fox  of  Kinderhook."  Irving  was 
a  visitor  during  Van  Buren's  occupancy  of  the  mansion 
and  continued  his  literary  work  as  in  the  days  of  his 
former  visits.  In  company  with  Van  Buren,  he  visited 
the  Catskills  for  the  first  time,  and  found  them  to  agree 
with  the  description  he  had  given  years  before  in  Rip  Van 
Winkle.  Van  Buren  died  here  and  is  buried  in  the  old 
cemetery  close  to  the  post-road,  north  of  the  village 
centre. 

The  first  grants  of  land  in  Kinderhook  were  made  by 
Colonel  Nicolls  to  Evert  Luycas  and  Jan  Hendrick 
Bruyn  of  two  parcels  of  land  south  of  a  point  known  as 
Kinderhook  and  near  the  bouwerie  of  Captain  Abraham 
Staats  (Claverack).  Before  1670  other  grants  were 
made,  and  the  Dutch  began  to  come  in  as  settlers. 
November  3,  1685,  Peter  Schuyler  received  a  patent  from 
Dongan  for  eight  hundred  acres  of  land,  previously 
bought  from  the  Indians,  lying  south  of  Rensselaers- 
wyck,  about  two  thousand  paces  over  the  New  England 


454         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


path.*  Upon  petition  of  the  inhabitants,  Governor 
Dongan  granted,  a  patent  for  the  town  of  Kinderhook, 
March  14,  1686. 

Kinderhook  and  Rhinebeck  are  mentioned  as  early 
as  1656  by  Van  Der  Donck;  yet,  old  as  Kinderhook  is, 
it  was  visited  by  hostile  Indians  in  comparatively  recent 
times.  In  the  year  1755,  while  some  half  dozen  of  the 
inhabitants  were  working  in  the  fields,  they  were  fired 
upon  by  several  Indians;  whereupon  the  whites  ran  for 
their  arms  and  killed  two  of  the  intruders.  Soon  after, 
thirty  or  forty  Indians  appeared,  but  they  were  pursued 
and  driven  off  by  Robert  Livingston  and  forty  men.  As 
late  as  1764,  the  Indians  attacked  a  family  of  six  persons 
near  Kinderhook  and  wounded  and  scalped  a  man  named 
Gardner,  who,  however,  survived;  the  Indians  were 
driven  off. 

Among  the  interesting  relics  of  Kinderhook  are  the 
old  covered  bridge  across  the  creek  over  which  the 
stages  used  to  rumble,  and  several  old  houses,  among  them 
the  Van  Alen  house,  the  home  of  Katrina,  which  was 
erected  before  1735.  Another  ancient  house  is  the  Van 
Schaack  place,  opposite  the  Dutch  Church,  built  in  1774. 
Montgomery,  Jay,  Hamilton,  Schuyler,  Chancellor  Kent, 
and  General  Burgoyne  have  been  guests  here,  the  last 
when  a  prisoner  on  his  way  to  Boston;  and  in  later  days, 
Clay,  Irving,  Thomas  H.  Benton,  David  Wilmot  (of 
"Proviso"  fame),  and  Charles  Sumner. 

*  The  old  Indian  path  to  New  England  was  afterwards  developed  into  a 
bridle  path  and  was  shortened,  as  it  was  the  custom  of  the  Indians  to  go 
around  all  obstacles,  as  mountains  and  swamps,  taking  the  easiest  way. 
The  whites  built  corduroy  roads  over  the  soft  places  and  scaled  the  hills. 
After  all  these  years,  roadbuilders  have  realized  that  the  "easiest  way  'round 
is  the  shortest  way  (in  time)  across"  where  hills  arc  concerned,  and  that  the 
Indians  had  the  right  idea  of  saving  themselves  labor.  A  part  of  the  old 
path  became  the  route  of  the  Boston  and  Albany  Railroad  when  it  was  built. 


455 


456         The  World's  Greatest  Street 

Between  Claverack  and  Kinderhook,  but  several 
miles  away  on  the  river  bank  is  the  city  of  Hudson,  which, 
though  off  the  ancient  post-road,  was  the  most  important 
place  between  Poughkeepsie  and  Albany  on  the  later 
one  which  made  a  detour  at  Blue  Store  to  pass  through 
it,  coming  back  to  Kinderhook  by  way  of  Stuyvesant 
Falls. 

Hudson  was  formerly  a  part  of  Claverack  and  was  in- 


STUYVESANT  FALLS 


eluded  in  the  patent  given  on  May  14,  1667,  by  Colonel 
Nicolls  to  Jan  Frans  Van  Hoesen,  who  bought  from  the 
Indians  in  1662.  It  was  known  in  later  days  as  Claverack 
Landing.  Early  in  the  year  1783  there  came  to  Claverack 
Landing  a  party  of  New  Englanders,  principally  from 
Newport,  Providence,  and  Nantucket,  who  had  been 
engaged  in  the  whaling  industry  which  had  been  ruined 
by  the  Revolution.  They  formed  an  association  limited 
to  thirty  members  and  were  well  supplied  with  means. 
They  bought  the  land  from  the  Dutch  owners  and  began 
the  building  of  a  town  systematically  laid  out  and  con- 


Columbia  and  Rensselaer  Counties  457 


ducted.  The  leading  spirit  of  the  undertaking  was 
Thomas  Jenkins,  ably  seconded  by  his  brother  Seth ;  and 
of  the  same  name,  there  appeared  among  the  associates, 
Marshall,  Charles,  Deborah,  and  Lemuel. 

Many  of  the  associates  were  Quakers,  and  their 
object  was  to  form  a  commercial  settlement.  Clay  pits 
were  opened  and  the  manufacture  of  bricks  was  begun 
and  within  a  year  after  landing,  regular  trade  was  carried 


TOLL  GATE,   HUDSON,  N.  Y. 


on  with  New  York.  In  1785,  it  was  the  second  port  in 
the  State  of  New  York,  with  two  shipyards  and  an  im- 
portant trade  with  the  West  Indies,  a  trade  that  was 
ruined  by  our  own  Embargo  and  Non-Intercourse  acts, 
by  the  opposing  decrees  of  Napoleon  and  the  British 
Council,  prohibiting  trade  with  the  allies  of  the  other 
under  threat  of  seizure  and  confiscation  of  vessel  and 
cargo,  and  by  the  War  of  18 12.  The  first  newspaper 
was  published  March  31,  1785;  and  on  April  twenty- 
second  of  the  same  year,  one  and  one  half  years  after 
the  first  arrival  of  the  New  Englanders,  Hudson  was 


458 


The  World's  Greatest  Street 


incorporated  as  a  city  with  a  population  of  fifteen  hun- 
dred. By  January,  1786,  an  aqueduct  to  provide  the 
city  with  pure  water  from  the  hills  back  of  the  city  had 
been  constructed;  and  in  1790  Hudson  had  become  a  port 
of  entry  and  remained  so  until  1815.  In  1786  Benjamin 
Faulkner,  an  English  brewer,  established  a  brewery  and 
dubbed  his  beverage  "Hudson  Ale."  About  all  that 
Hudson  is  famous  for  to-day  is  the  output  of  the  same 
brewery,  or  its  successor,  under  the  name  of  Evans' 
Cream  Ale.  So  remarkable  was  the  early  growth  of 
the  city  that  strangers  visited  it  to  see  for  them- 
selves the  truth  of  the  wonderful  stories  they  had  heard 
about  it.  The  decadence  of  the  city  was  almost  as 
rapid  as  its  rise;  and  one  is  reminded  of  the  old 
saying  about  "going  up  like  a  rocket  and  coming  down 
like  a  stick." 

When  I  visited  the  city  some  years  ago,  riding  down 
on  my  bicycle  from  Stuyvesant  Falls,  I  was  reminded 
of  Tennyson's  lines  in  Enid: 

Beheld  the  long  street  of  a  little  town 
In  a  long  valley, 

and  I  find  in  the  history  of  the  city  a  similar  comment 
by  a  visitor  of  1807.  In  1806,  the  Highland  Turnpike 
Company  opened  the  South  Bay  Road  to  Blue  Store, 
and  the  northerly  road  by  way  of  Stuyvesant  Falls  to 
Kinderhook  was  opened  about  the  same  time.  Lafayette 
was  received  here  with  great  honor  in  1824.  Hudson 
is  the  birthplace  of  two  heroes,  one  naval,  the  other 
military.  The  first  was  Lieutenant  William  Henry 
Allen  of  the  United  States  Navy,  who  was  executive 
officer  of  the  frigate  United  States  in  her  memorable 
fight  with  the  Macedonian  during  the  War  of  18 12. 
Allen  afterwards  commanded  the  Argus  and  took  many 


Columbia  and  Rensselaer  Counties  459 


prizes,  cruising  in  English  waters  as  Paul  Jones  had  done. 
He  was  killed  in  the  action  with  the  Peacock  in  1813. 

.  .  .  Pride  of  his  country's  chivalry, 
His  fame  their  hope,  his  name  their  battle-cry; 
He  lived  as  mothers  wish  their  sons  to  live, 
He  died  as  fathers  wish  their  sons  to  die. 

Halleck. 

The  military  hero  is  Major-General  William  Jenkins 
Worth,  who  took  part  in  the  War  of  18 12,  in  the  Mexican 
War,  and  in  the  Indian  wars,  and  whose  monument 
stands  at  Broadway  and  Twenty-fifth  Street  in  New 
York.  Sanford  Gifford,  the  distinguished  landscape 
artist  and  a  member  of  the  Seventh  Regiment  during 
the  Civil  War,  was  long  a  resident  of  Hudson. 

From  Kinderhook',  the  old  post-road  continues  on 
through  Rensselaer  County,  passing  through  Valatie, 
Niverville  and  South  Schodac  to  Schodac  Centre,  where 
it  joins  the  old  post-road  connecting  Boston  and  Albany, 
over  which  it  passes  to  Greenbush,  about  seven  miles 
from  where  it  enters  the  Boston  Road.  We  are  fairly 
within  the  manor  of  Rensselaerswyck,  the  ancient  domain 
of  the  Van  Rensselaer  family,  the  greatest  landowners 
in  the  province  of  New  York. 

In  1629,  the  Dutch  West  India  Company,  in  order 
to  effect  permanent  agricultural  colonization  in  New 
Netherland,  granted  a  charter  of  "Privileges  and  ex- 
emptions" to  any  member  of  the  company  who  would 
within  four  years  plant  a  colony  of  fifty  persons  anywhere 
within  New  Netherland,  except  on  Manhattan  Island. 
These  wealthy  grantees  were  termed  patroons,  and 
they  were  entitled  to  rule  their  colonies  in  almost  feudal 
style.  The  first  director  of  the  company  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  the  offer  was  Kilian  Van  Rensselaer,  a  wealthy 


460  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


merchant  of  Amsterdam  in  Holland,  who,  by  means  of 
his  agents,  managed  to  secure  upwards  of  seven  hundred 
thousand  acres  of  land  on  both  sides  of  the  Hudson 
in  the  vicinity  of  Albany,  then  called  Fort  Orange.  The 
first  purchase  was  made  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  in 
July,  1630,  the  first  settlers  were  sent  out  the  same  year, 


THE  OLD  COURT  HOUSE,  CLAVERACK,   N.  Y. 


and  the  colony  was  named  Rensselaerswyck.  Adrien 
Van  der  Donck  was  the  second  sheriff  of  the  colony, 
and  Anthony  Van  Corlaer  had  special  charge  of  Indian 
affairs.  So  just  and  so  humane  was  he  in  his  dealings 
with  the  Iroquois  that  his  name  became  to  them  the 
synonym  for  fair  treatment;  and  so  much  did  he  repre- 
sent to  them  the  power  of  the  white  men  that  the  gover- 
nors and  agents  for  Indian  affairs  were  always  called 
Curler  until  the  Confederacy  of  the  Six  Nations  lost  its 
power. 

Stuyvesant  became  jealous  of  the  power  and  wealth 


Columbia  and  Rensselaer  Counties  461 

of  the  patroon,  whose  influence  was  even  greater  than 
his  own,  and  compelled  Van  Rensselaer  to  divide  his 
domain  into  five  parts,  taking  in  co-directors  who  formed 
a  council  for  the  government  of  the  patroon' s  colony; 
but  Van  Rensselaer  kept  the  lion's  share  for  himself. 
The  first  patroon  never  visited  his  gigantic  holdings, 
but  was  represented  by  agents.  The  present  town  of 
Rensselaer,  formerly  called  Greenbush  (from  the  Dutch 
Het  Greene  Bosch,  "the  pine  woods")  and  East  Albany, 
fell  to  Director  De  Laet  and  was,  in  consequence,  known 
as  De  Laet's  Burg,  and  also  as  Cralo  and  Crawlier.  Some 
settlers  had  already  located  here  as  early  as  1628.  In 
1678  Governor  Andros  granted  a  patent  for  the  Manor 
of  Rensselaerswyck  to  the  heirs  of  the  first  patroon, 
and  this  was  confirmed  by  Dongan  on  November  4, 
1685.  In  1 69 1  the  first  manor-lord  conveyed  the  Cralo 
estate  in  Greenbush  and  the  Claverack  tract  to  his  brother 
Johannes,  who  formed  the  latter  into  the  Lower  Manor. 

Fort  Cralo  in  Greenbush  is  supposed  to  be  the  oldest 
habitation  erected  by  Europeans  now  standing  within 
the  United  States  and  to  have  been  erected  as  a  manor- 
house  and  place  of  defence  in  1642.  It  was  used  by 
General  Abercrombie  as  his  headquarters  when  he  was 
preparing  to  march  against  Ticonderoga  in  1758.  While 
mobilizing  his  army  the  English  officers  were  much 
amused  at  the  straggling  appearance  of  the  provincials; 
and  the  particularly  uncouth  looks  and  demeanor  of  the 
Connecticut  levies  provoked  Dr.  Shackbury,  a  surgeon 
with  the  English,  to  write  the  words  of  "Yankee  Doodle" 
to  the  old  tune  of  "Lucy  Locket  lost  her  pocket. "  Some 
of  Burgoyne's  captured  troops  were  quartered  in  the 
building  while  passing  through  Greenbush  on  their 
way  to  Boston,  and  probably  heard  more  of  the  derisive 
tune  than  they  wanted  to;  for  it  had  been  adopted  by 


462 


The  World's  Greatest  Street 


the  Continentals  almost  as  a  national  anthem.  Fort 
Cralo  is  now  owned  by  the  Daughters  of  the  American 
Revolution.  During  the  War  of  18 12,  Greenbush  was 
the  rendezvous  for  the  troops  engaged  in  the  northern 
campaign,  and  extensive  barracks,  magazines,  and  store- 
houses were  erected  by  the  government. 

Henry  Hudson,  in  his  exploration  up  the  river  which 


FORT  CRALO  MANSION,  RENSSELAER 


bears  his  name,  ascended  in  the  Half-Moon  almost  to 
the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Albany  and  sent  Hendrick 
Chry stance  in  a  small  boat  farther  up  the  stream.  Chrys- 
tance  went  up  as  far  as  the  present  Troy,  and  was  probably 
the  first  Dutchman  to  land  upon  the  site  of  Albany. 
The  first  traders  who  came  in  the  following  years  found 
the  remains  of  a  French  fort  on  Castle  Island  and  erected 
a  new  fort  for  their  own  protection  from  the  Indians 
on  the  same  site;  this  was  swept  away  in  a  freshet  in 
161 7.    The  first  agricultural  colony  sent  out  by  the 


Columbia  and  Rensselaer  Counties  463 


company  located  at  Albany  in  1623.  Fort  Orange  was 
built  the  same  year  and  a  treaty  was  made  with  the 
Indians  to  buy  their  land  and  for  the  fur  trade.  The 


W 


PLAN  OF  ALBANY,  1695 


Indian  name  of  the  place  was  Scagh-negh-ta-da,  meaning 
"the  end  of  the  pine  woods";  a  name  which  can  be 
recognized  to-day  in  that  of  Schenectady  The  fort 
was  located  at  the  foot  of  the  present  State  Street,  but  was 
removed  in  later  days  to  the  top  of  the  hill  where  the 


464         The  World's  Greatest  Street 


Capitol  now  stands.  In  time  a  collection  of  rude  houses 
grew  up  about  the  fort  on  the  river  bank,  and  the  whole 
was  surrounded  by  a  stockade,  the  gates  of  which  were 
closed  every  day  at  nightfall. 

Even  as  late  as  1689,  Albany  is  described  as  a  stock- 


A  VIEW  OF  ALBANY  FROM  THE  BRIDGE 

t  it 

aded  village  with  two  cross  streets,  one  called  "Jonk- 
heer's  Straat"  (now  State),  and  the  other,  "Hendalaer's 
Straat"  (now  Broadway),  extending  along  the  river 
bank.  At  the  junction  of  State  and  Market  (Broadway) 
streets  was  the  old  Dutch  stone  church.  It  stood  in 
the  middle  of  State  Street  and  was  enlarged  in  171 5 
by  building  a  new  and  larger  church  around  and  over 
the  old  and  smaller  one,  where  the  services  went  on 
undisturbed.    In  1806  the  edifice  was  razed,  and  the 


Columbia  and  Rensselaer  Counties  465 


materials  were  used  in  the  construction  of  a  new  church 
between  Hudson  and  Beaver  Streets. 

The  first  name  given  to  the  settlement  was  the  Fuyck, 
probably  referring  to  a  bend  in  the  river  where  fish  were 
caught;  but  in  1634  the  name  was  changed  to  Beverwyck 
(Beavertown),  or  "a  place  for  beavers."    Upon  the 


THE  GOVERNOR'S  HOUSE,  ALBANY 


English  occupation  in  1664  the  name  was  changed  to 
Albany  in  honor  of  the  lord-proprietor's  Scotch  title, 
Duke  of  Albany.  In  1673,  when  the  Dutch  had  control 
again,  the  fort  was  renamed  Nassau  and  the  settlement, 
Willemstadt ;  but  the  town  and  fort  resumed  their  former 
names  when  the  English  came  back.  The  first  ferry 
was  established  to  Greenbush  in  1642,  and  the  first 
bridge  was  completed  in  December,  1804. 

From  the  beginning  of  its  existence,  Albany  was  a 
place  of  vast  importance  as  a  trading-post,  located  as  it 


466  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


was  at  the  mouth  of  the  fur  country ;  but  the  restrictions 
upon  the  trade  within  the  town  drove  many  of  the  mer- 
chants to  Schenectady,  where  they  could  intercept  the 
furs  on  their  way  to  Albany  in  the  canoes  of  the  savages. 
During  the  various  French  wars,  the  town  was  of  great 
importance,  as  most  of  the  expeditions  gathered  at 
Albany  before  marching  against  the  French  at  Ticon- 
deroga,  Crown  Point,  or  the  shores  of  Lake  Ontario;  and 
its  position  gave  the  English  control  of  the  warlike  tribes 
of  the  Iroquois  and  especially  of  their  nearest  and  fiercest 
neighbors,  the  Mohawks.  Governor  Sloughter  visited 
the  city  during  his  short  term  of  office  and  wrote:  "If 
the  French  should  assault  and  gain  Albany,  all  the 
English  colonies  on  both  sides  of  us  would  be  endangered. 
For  we  have  nothing  but  that  place  that  keeps  our  In- 
dians steady  to  us." 

The  first  of  the  Rensselaerswyck  settlers  located 
close  to  Fort  Orange,  and  the  fort  and  village  were  in 
danger  of  being  swallowed  up  by  the  patroon;  but  in 
1652  Stuyvesant  granted  a  charter  to  Beverwyck  and 
defined  its  bounds  at  six  hundred  paces  from  the  stockade 
and  thus  released  Albany  from  the  danger  of  ever  coming 
under  the  feudal  jurisdiction  of  Rensselaerswyck.  In 
1686  Governor  Dongan  granted  a  charter  to  the  city 
of  Albany  at  the  same  time  that  he  gave  one  to  the  city 
of  New  York.  In  1754  a  convention  composed  of  dele- 
gates from  seven  of  the  colonies  met  at  Albany  for  the 
purpose  of  making  closer  treaties  with  the  Six  Nations 
and  to  formulate  some  plan  for  the  united  action  of  the 
colonies  with  the  British  regulars  in  the  war  then  im- 
pending with  the  French.  Franklin  proposed  his  famous 
plan  of  union  for  the  colonies,  which  was  rejected  by  the 
provincial  assemblies  because  it  did  not  go  far  enough, 
and  by  the  Lords  of  Trade,  under  whose  auspices  the 


Columbia  and  Rensselaer  Counties  467 


convention  was  held,  because  it  went  too  far  in  rendering 
the  colonies  independent  of  the  mother-country. 

During  the  Revolution,  the  seat  of  government  was 
moved  from  place  to  place  as  the  exigencies  of  the  war 
determined.    When  New  York  City  became  the  capital 


THF  CITY  HALL,  ALBANY 


of  the  nation,  it  also  became  the  capital  of  the  State, 
and  remained  so  until  1798,  when  the  capital  was  removed 
to  Albany,  where  it  has  been  ever  since.  The  capitol 
building  was  erected  in  1803.  Then  came  the  building 
of  the  Erie  and  other  canals  and  the  invention  of  the 
steam  railway,  making  Albany  a  great  commercial 
centre  and  settling  and  developing  the  interior  of  the 
State;  so  that  New  York  became  the  first  State  in  the 
Union  in  wealth  and  population.    Following  the  custom 


468  The  World's  Greatest  Street 


of  the  lavish  expenditure  of  money  which  the  great  Civil 
War  left  as  a  legacy  to  us,  it  was  considered  that  a  new 
and  larger  capitol,  commensurate  with  the  wealth  and 
dignity  of  the  State,  was  necessary;  and  work  was  begun 
upon  the  new  capitol  building  in  July,  1869,  resulting 
in  one  of  the  finest  buildings  of  any  kind  to  be  found 
in  the  United  States.  And  it  should  be;  for  it  took 
between  twenty-five  and  thirty  years  to  build,  during 
which  there  were  numerous  scandals  in  connection  with 
its  construction,  and  about  as  many  millions  of  dollars 
were  expended  as  it  took  years  to  build.  It  is  constructed 
principally  of  white  marble,  papier-mache,  and  steal.  In 
late  years  other  fine  buidings  have  been  erected  for 
State  purposes;  but  there  is  one  that  is  conspicuous  by 
its  absence — a  well-lighted,  fireproof  structure  to  house 
the  invaluable  archives  and  records  of  the  State,  which 
for  many  years  have  been  stored  in  any  damp,  ill-lighted 
vault  or  room  which  could  be  spared,  and  which  have 
been  wantonly,  carelessly,  and  ignorantly  treated,  and 
in  some  cases,  destroyed. 

Some  months  after  the  above  paragraph  was  in  type, 
there  occurred  a  disaster  at  the  State  Capitol  which  still 
further  emphasizes  the  need  of  an  adequate  building  for 
the  storage  of  the  relics  and  historic  documents  belonging 
to  the  State.  On  the  morning  of  the  twenty-ninth  of 
March,  191 1,  the  Capitol  caught  fire,  and  there  was  an 
estimated  money  loss  of  over  five  millions;  and  a  great 
many  of  the  State  papers  were  destroyed,  and  others 
were  badly  injured.  These,  of  course,  cannot  be  re- 
placed ;  but  fortunately,  owing  to  the  efforts  of  the  State 
historians  and  archivists  mentioned  in  the  earlier  part  of 
this  work,  most  of  these  documents  are  still  accessible  in 
the  codified  volumes  issued  from  time  to  time  under 
various  administrations. 


BIBLIOGRAPHY 


Almanacs  published  by  the  New  York  American,  the  New  York  Tribune, 
the  New  York  World,  and  the  Brooklyn  Eagle  for  various  years. 

American  Scenic  and  Historic  Preservation  Society.  Annual  Report,  1904; 
History  of  the  New  York  City  Hall;  An  Appeal  for  the  Preservation  of  City 
Hall  Park.    New  York,  1910. 

Appleton's  Dictionary  of  Greater  New  York,  1899. 

Automobile  Blue  Book  for  New  England,  1907. 

Avery,  Elroy  McEndree.    A  History  of  the  United  States  and  Its 

People.    Cleveland,  Ohio,  1909. 
Bacon,  Edgar  Mayhew.    Chronicles  of  Sleepy  Hollow  and  Tarrytown, 

1897;  The  Hudson  River,  from  Ocean  to  Source — Historical,  Legendary, 

Picturesque.    New  York,  1902. 
Blake,  W.  J.    History  of  Putnam  County,  New  York.    New  York,  1849. 
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469 


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INDEX 


A 

Abbey,  Henry  E.,  manager  Star 
T.,  210;  Park  T.,  234;  Knicker- 
bocker T.f  260;  Met.  Opera  H., 
260 

Abbey,  the,  roadhouse,  295 
Abercrombie,  Gen.,  hdqrs.  at  Ft. 

Cralo,  461 
Abingdon  Road,  234 
Ackerman,  Jane,  266 
Ackert,  Wolfert,  builds  Wolfert's 

Rust  (Roost),  366 
Adams,  Maude,  261 
Adams,  Mrs.  John,  quoted,  189 
Adder  Cliff,  at  Poughkeepsie,  424 
Advertisements,  77;  of  estate  near 

Bloomingdale,  2S6 
Aertsen,  Huyck,  grant  from  Kieft, 

328 

Ainslee's  restaurant,  186 

Albany,  fort,  2;  State  capital,  26, 
467;  stages,  144;  distance  to, 
145;  view  of  Nieuw  Orange,  447; 
called  Ft.  Orange,  460,  463; 
Indian  name  of,  463;  description 
in  689,  464;  Dutch  name  of, 
465;  named  by  English,  465; 
Dutch  regain  possession,  465; 
trading-post,  465 ;  governors' 
house,  4G5;  during  French  wars, 
466;  controls  the  Iroquois,  466; 
city  charter,  466;  colonial  con- 
vention, 466;  City  Hall,  467; 
commercial  centre,  467;  first 
Capitol,  467;  present  Capitol, 
468;  its  scandalous  construction, 
468;  fire  in,  468 

Albany  County,  formation  and 
extent,  436 

Albany  Post-road,  old  Indian  trail, 
344;  act  establishing,  344;  course, 

475 


344.  345-  348,  353.  381.  387.  394. 
401,  407,  415,  422,  430,  437, 
445,  447,  450,  459;  overseers, 
344;  Philipse  maintains,  346; 
junction  with  Boston  road,  353; 
under  Highland  Turnpike  Co., 
360,  401,  407;  fine  estates  on,  370, 
394,  434;  Andre  monument,  373; 
joins  Boston-Albany  road,  459 
Aldermen,  Board  of  (or  Common 
Council),  114;  tea  parties,  116, 
117;  calls  meeting,  121,  122; 
"Forty  Thieves,"  229;  grants 
franchise  for  Broadway  railway, 
229,  230;  arrested  for  bribery, 
232 

Aldrich,  Thomas  Bailev,  at  Pfaff's, 
189 

Alipconck,  Indian  village  on  Po- 

cantico,  372,  381 
Allen,  Lieut.,  messenger  to  Arnold, 
400,  408 

Allen,  Lieut.  Wm.  Henry,  U.  S.  N., 
his  career,  458;  Halleck's  lines 
on  his  death,  459 
Allerton,  Isaac,  warehouse,  9;  farm, 
10 

Almshouse,  90,  95;  new,  95;  old, 
demolished,  96;  removed,  96;  be- 
comes N.  Y.    Institution,  96; 
American  Museum,  96 
Amen  Corner,  at  5th  Ave.  Hotel, 

240;  dinners  of,  241 
American    Geographical  Society, 

new  building,  316 
American   Hor?e   Exchange,  268; 

history  of,  272 
American  Hotel,  99 
American  League  Park,  baseball, 
323 

American  Museum,  Scudder's,  96; 
Barnum's,  site  of,  104 


476 


Index 


American  Numismatic  Society,  new 
building,  316 

American  prisoners,  92-94,  105 

Amsterdam,  Fort,  12 

Amsterdam,  New,  named,  12 

Anderson,  Elbert,  176 

Andre,  Maj.  John,  correspondence 
with  Arnold,  44;  funeral,  82; 
361 ;  monument,  373,  374;  story 
of  his  capture,  374-380;  writes 
letter  to  Washington,  378;  trial 
and  execution,  378,  380;  inter- 
view with  Arnold,  385,  392,  417; 
crosses  King's  Ferry,  393;  stops 
at  Dusenberry's  tavern,  399; 
taken  to  N.  Salem,  400;  capture 
announced  to  Arnold,  408 

Andros,  Gov.  Edmund,  fills  in 
Broad  St.,  8;  grants  flour  mono- 
poly, 51 ;  grants  lands  in  Harlem, 
309;  permits  Livingston  to  buy 
lands  from  Indians,  438;  grants 
patent  for  Rensselaerswyck,  461 

Annsville  Creek,  401,  402 

Anthony's  Nose,  location,  402; 
picture  of,  403;  Irving's  story 
of  the  origin  of  the  name,  402-404 

Anti-Leislerians,  political  party,  18; 
hdqrs.,  45 

Anti-Masonry,  163 

Anti-rent  wars  on  Livingston  and 
Rensselaer  manors,  442 

Apollo  Ballroom,  212;  hdqrs.  Wood 
Democracy,  212;  dancing,  213 

Appleton,  D.,  &  Co.,  publishers, 
74.  75.  165 

Apthorpe,  Charles  Ward,  mansion, 
284,  285;  sketch  of,  286;  estate 
becomes  Elm  Park,  286;  house 
hdqrs.  of  Washington,  288;  hdqrs. 
of  Howe,  288,  305 

Archer,  John,  village  of  Fordham,340 

Archives,  State,  codified  by  State 
historian,  4;  necessity  for  proper 
care  of,  468 

Argall,  first  Englishman  to  visit 
Manhattan  I.,  8 

Armies,  allied,  grand  reconnaisance, 
353.  354'.  feint  upon  New  York, 
354;  march  to  Yorktown,  Va., 
355 ;  advance  through  Yonkcrs,36o 

Armstrong,  Gen.  John,  Rokeby 
estate,  433;  sketch  of,  433; 
famous  privateer  named  after 
him,  434 


Arnold,  Gen.  Benedict,  44;  plan 
to  capture,  46,  47;  pass  to  Andre, 
376;  meeting  with  Andre,  378, 
380;  escapes  to  the  British,  378, 
409;  interview  with  Andre,  385, 
392,  417;  his  treason,  397;  com- 
mander in  the  Highlands,  397; 
hdqrs.,  408 
Arnold,  George,  at  Pfaff's,  189 
Aronson,  Rudolph,  manager,  261 
Arsenal,  U.  S.,  at  Madison  Square, 
238 

Arthur,  Pres't  Chester  A.,  at  5th 

Ave.  Hotel,  240 
Articles  of  Confederation  ratified 

by  State,  425 
Asbury,  Bishop,  preaches  at  Van 

Cortlandt  Manor,  392 
Ashburton,  Lord,  reception  at  City 

Hall,  115 
Asia,  the,  threatens  to  bombard 

N.  Y.,  22,  108 
Aspinwall,  Wm.  H.,  acquires  Phil- 

ipse's  Castle,  381 
Astor  House,  66,  137;  erected,  138, 

139;  visitors  at,  139;  "Bache- 
lors' "  ball,   139;  departure  of 

6th  Mass.  Reg't,  139,  140,  142; 

popular  resort,  142;  157,  183 
Astor,  John  Jacob,  137,  176,  226, 

266;  builds  Astor  House,  138; 

farm,  298;  acquires  Roger  Morris 

property,  319 
Astor  Place  riot,  196 
Astor,  Wm.  B.,  acquires  Rokeby, 

434 

Atlantic  cable  celebration,  115 

Atlantic  Garden,  46 

Auchmuty,    Rev.,    dedicates  St. 

Paul's,  71 
Audubon,  John  James,  picture  of 

house,    313;    cross    in  Trinity 

Cemetery,    314;    residence  of, 

315 

Audubon  Park,  310,  315 
B 

Babcock,  Luke,  rector  at  Yonkcrs, 
357;  maltreated  by  patriots,  357 

Bacon,  Judge,  anecdote  of,  foot- 
note, 57 

Badeau,  Gen.  Adam,  resident  of 

Mt.  Pleasant,  369 
Baker  &  Scribner,  208 


Index 


477 


Baker,    Senator,    at    Union  Sq. 

meeting,  226 
Ball,  Bachelors',  at  Astor  House, 

139 

Ball,  Black  &  Co.,  161 

Ballston  Spa,  242 

Bangs,  Richards  &  Piatt,  auc- 
tioneers, 75 

Bank,  first  savings,  96 

Banquets — to  Sir  Charles  Hardy,  62 ; 
King's  College,  63;  St.  Andrew's 
Society,  64;  to  Washington,  66; 
Publishers'  Association,  66;  naval 
heroes,  66;  Irving,  66,  67;  Charles 
Dickens,  67;  Prince  de  Joinville, 
139;  Capt.  Lawrence,  153 

Bardin,  Edward,  tavern-keeper,  45 

Barnard  College,  302 

Barnum,  Phineas  T.,  Am.  Museum, 
194;  hires  Vauxhall,  194;  ac- 
quires Scudder's,  196;  burnt 
out,  199;  reopens  at  Melodeon 
Hall,  211;  burnt  out  again,  211 

Barracks,  in  City  Hall  Park,  118; 
on  Chambers  St.,  152 

Barre  coins  term,  "Sons  of  Lib- 
erty, "  97 

Barrett,  Lawrence,  at  Star  T.,  210 

Barrett,  Wilson,  at  Star  T.,  210 

Barrow,  James,  farm,  310 

Bartholdi,  statue  of  Lafayette,  224 

Bartolph,  Dominie  Guillaume,  at 
Sleepy  Hollow  Church,  383 

Battery,  the,  origin  of,  18,  19; 
favorite  resort,  19 

Bayard,  Nicholas,  colonel  of  train- 
bands, 17;  brings  about  death 
of  Leisler,  437 

Bayard,  Alderman  Nicholas,  sells 
lots  on  Broadway,  68;  farm,  175; 
it  becomes  Vauxhall  garden,  194 

Bayard,  Peter,  leases  Bowling 
Green,  19 

Becket,  Harry,  at  Wallack's  T., 
210 

Becchcr,  Henry  Ward,  resident  of 
Peekskill,  370 

Beekman  farm,  310 

Beekman's  swamp,  leather  dis- 
trict, 77,  431 

Beekman,  Gerard  G.,  acquires 
Philipse's  Castle,  381 

Beekman  (or  Beekman),  Col.  Henry, 
acquires  Rhinebeck,  431;  extent 
of  grant,  432 


Beekman  (or  Beekman),  Wm., 
comes  to  New  Amsterdam  with 
Stuyvesant,  431 

Bellomont,  Gov.  Lord,  body  ex- 
humed, 25;  stops  privateering, 
43;  refuses  to  sign  act  for  Jansen 
heirs,  338;  quoted  in  regard  to 
Kidd's  treasure,  346;  friendly  to 
Livingston,  437;  reports  on  Liv- 
ingston Manor,  439 

Benckes,  Admiral,  retakes  N.  Y. 
for  the  Dutch,  16 

Bennett,  James  Gordon,  156;  ac- 
quires site  of  Barnum's  Museum, 
199;  estate  at  Washington 
Heights,  315 

Bennett,  James  Gordon,  2d,  gives 
land  for  Ft.  Washington  me- 
morial, 328 

Benton,  Senator  Thos.  H.,  guest 
at  Van  Schaack  house,  454 

Beraud  &  Mondon,  booksellers, 
75 

Bernhardt,  Sara,  at  Knickerbocker 
T.,  210 

Berrien,    John,    injured    on  the 

Commons,  101 
Berrien's  Neck,  345 
Beverwyck,  Dutch  name  for  Al- 
bany,   465;    Stuyvesant  gives 

charter  to,  466 
Bial,  Rudolph,  manager,  261 
Bierstadt,  Albert,  resident  of  Dobbs 

Ferry,  370 
Birch,    Harvey,    interview  with 

Washington,  412;  escapes  from 

Wharton  House,  419 
Birch,  Wambold  &  Backus,  San 

Francisco  Minstrels,  250 
Black  Crook,  the,  at  Niblo's,  204 
Blaine,  James  G.,  in  presidential 

campaign,  240 
Bliss,  Elam,  bookseller,  74 
Blitz,  Signor,  magician,  218 
Block,  Adrien,  explorer,  2 
Blommaert's  Vly,  6,  34 
Bloomer,  company  and  costume, 

211 

Bloomingdale,  omnibuses,  145,  146, 
274;  insane  asylum,  removed  to, 
150;  road,  220,  234,  238,  242, 
258,  264,  266,  274,  288,  316,  320; 
course  of  road,  296,  298,  308; 
estates  in,  282;  De  Lanccy  es- 
tate, 283;  advertisement  of  sale 


478 


Index 


Bloomingdale, — (Continued) 

of  estate,  286;  origin  of  name, 

288;    roadhouses,    295;  asylum 

removed  from,  302 
Blow,  Capt.,  brings  first  stamped 

paper  to  city,  100 
Blue  Store,  446;  change  house  in 

coaching  days,  447 
Blunt,   Edw.   March,   resident  of 

Sing  Sing,  370 
Boar  (or  Hog)  Hill  occupied  by 

American  army,  360 
Bogardus,     Dominie  Everardus, 

farm,  136;  marries  Annetje  Jans, 

136 

Bogert  farm,  282 
Bolton,  tavern-keeper,  64 
Bomb  throwing  in  Union  Square, 
226 

Bonaparte,  Jerome,  entertained  by 

Jumels,  319 
Bonaparte,  Joseph,  occupies  Clare- 

mont,  300 
Bones,  Brom,  character  of  Irving's, 

368;  original  of,  452 
Boniface,  Stella,  at  Wallack's  T., 

210 

Booksellers  and  publishers,  74,  75 

Booth,  Edwin,  at  Winter  Garden 
T.,  207;  at  Star  T.,  210 

Boreel  Building,  on  site  of  City 
Hotel,  67 

Borough  of  The  Bronx,  English 
settlement,  8;  formation,  350 

Boston  Port  Bill,  meeting  in  the 
Fields,  105 

Boston  Post-road,  85,  296;  course, 
132,  236,  237,  principal  thorough- 
fare of  city,  175;  at  Kingsbridge, 
345;  Coles's  nev;  road,  350 

Boston  and  Albany  Post-road,  Al- 
bany Post-road  merges  in,  459 

Boucicault,  Dion,  at  Star  T.,  210; 
plans  Park  T.,  235 

Bouguereau,  Nymphs  and  Satyr,  244 

Boulevard,  Western,  see  Broadway 

Boundary  disputes  with  Connecti- 
cut, 8;  with  Massachusetts,  441 

Boiiweries,  see  Farms 

Bowers,  Ardcn  Rosannah,  farm,  310 

Bowers,  Mrs.  D.  P.,  at  Laura 
Kcene's  Varieties  T.,  213 

Bowery,  Heereivegh  leads  into,  85; 
part  of  Boston  Post-road,  132; 
first  Belgian  pavement  on,  134; 


sports  at  Bull's  Head  tavern,  137; 
Astor  Place  leads  from,  178; 
"Minto"  estate  on,  178;  Bre- 
voort  estate  on,  179;  Vauxhall 
Garden  on,  194:  junction  with 
Broadway,  221;  Washington 
statue  on,  at  Union  Sq.,  224 

Bowling  Green,  location,  14;  market 
and  fair,  15;  parade,  15;  sham- 
bles, 15;  treaty  with  Indians  on, 
15;  Stuyvesant's  surrender,  16; 
parade  of  train-bands,  17;  De 
Peyster  statue,  18;  resolution 
of  Council,  19;  lessees,  19;  In- 
dian conference,  19,  20;  post- 
office  at,  21;  fence,  22;  George 
III. 's  statue  in,  22,  23;  Chancel- 
lor Livingston  becomes  lessee,  24; 
governor's  garden,  26;  Jay's 
treaty  and  effigy  burned,  26; 
leased  to  Rogers,  27;  fountain, 
28;  view  of,  29;  regulated,  34; 
meat  market,  38;  taverns,  42; 
view  in  19 10,  49;  enclosed,  85; 
terminus,  Broadway  surface 
railway,  233 

Brant,  Capt.,  guest  at  Van  Cort- 
landt  manor-house,  392 

Bread  line  at  Fleischmann's,  181 

Breedeweg,  31 

Brett,  Roger  and  Madam,  occupy 

Teller  hou<=e,  419 
Brevoort,  Elias,  farm,  179,  221 
Brevoort,  Hendrick,  prevents  cut- 
ting through  of  nth  St.,  179 
Brevoort,  Henry,  friend  of  Irving,  53 
Bridewell,   site  of,  92;  American 
prisoners  in,  92;  demolition,  92 
Bridges:  Broad  Street,  over  canal, 
14;  Loew,  at  Fulton  St.,  78,  79; 
Stone,  at  Canal  St.,  173,  174; 
Farmers',  329,  334,  335— built, 
339 — known  as  Hadley's,  339 — 
opening  of,  340 — destroyed  by 
British,  341;  Harlem  Ship  Canal, 
334;  King's,  view  of,  335,  338— 
established  by  Philipse,  339,  346 
— used  during  Revolution,  339, 
344,  348;  Harlem,  341 — built  by 
Coles,  350;  British  pontoon,  341; 
Central   (Macomb's  dam),  348; 
Croton,  387,  391;  Poughkecpsie 
cantilever,  428,  429;  Roelof  Jan- 
sen's  Kill,  445;  Kindcrhook  Creek, 
454;  Albany-Grecnbush,  465 


Index 


479 


Brinekerhoff,  Revolutionary  mills, 
417 

British,  occupy  city,  24;  evacuate 
city,  24,  363;  fortifications,  148, 
174-  175,  341.  350;  posts  of 
Neutral  Ground,  363, 364;  destroy 
Peekskill,  400;  burn  Kingston, 
442;  destroy  Clermont  mansions, 

444  .  ,  , 

British  Council,  injures  Hudson  s 

trade,  457 
Broad  Street,  formation  of,  6,  8; 
canal,  7;  called  de  Heere  Graft, 
8;  centre  of  population,  8;  filled 
in,  8,  14;  ditch,  34,  332 
Broadhurst,  Samuel,  farm,  310 
Broadway,  first  grants  on,  5,  6; 
burying-ground,  6,  42;  fortifica- 
tions, 9,  109,  148,  174,  175;  begin- 
ning, 14;  cattle  fair,  15;  receives 
name,  31;  Breedeweg,  31;  Great 
George  St.,  31;  extent  of,  31,  42, 
133,  136,  152;  drainage,  34;  wells, 
34,  36;  pavements,  34,  134,  176, 
276;  reservoir  on,  36;  lighting — 
gas,  37,  electricity,  38;  market, 
39;  as  business  street,  41;  char- 
acter of  houses  on,  42,  52,  68,  72, 
152,  161,  164,  176,  177;  residents 
and  farms  on,  43,  44,  45,  48,  62, 
152,  166,  175,  176,  222,  242,  266, 
282,  298,310;  regulation  of  houses, 
48;  views  of,  49,  59,  161,  185,  186, 
188;  values  of  property,  50,  52, 
53.  68,  137,  139,  242,  252,  254, 
255;  Rombout's  house,  51;  De 
Lancey  house,  62;  regulated,  62, 
68,  134,  152,  175,  180,  242,  266; 
traffic  control,  78;  Loew  Bridge, 
78,  79;  "Squad"  of  police,  79; 
draft  riot,  128;  Middle  road,  129, 
!33.  x75>  180,  266;  development, 
134;  survey,  134;  ropewalk,  136; 
omnibuses,  143-147;  Kip  man- 
sion, 145;  N.  Y.  Hospital,  148, 
149;  booksellers  and  publishers, 
158;  Stone  Bridge,  173,  174;  an 
— "accidental  thoroughfare,"  175; 
charms  of,  189;  Jewish  occupancy, 
191;  public  gardens,  193, 194,  202; 
American  Museum  at  Ann  St., 
199;  Bloomingdale  road,  220,  234, 
238,  242,  258,  264,  266,  274,  288, 
316,  320;  junction  with  Bowery, 
221;  retail  trade  leaves,  222,  223; 


cable  road  on,  228;  surface  road, 
228-234;  chief  residential  street, 
229;  character  changed,  232; 
Herald  Sq.,  253,  254;  Greeley 
Sq.,254;  upward  trend  ofgayetv, 
256,  258;  "Great  White  Way|" 
256,  257,  262;  "Long  Acre  Sq.," 
264;  the  Circle,  274;  Boulevard, 
274,  276,  290,  314;  Lincoln  Sq., 
274;  Beach  Pneumatic  Railway, 
279;  subway,  279-283;  squares 
at  avenue  crossings,  292;  Sher- 
man Sq.,  292;  merges  in  Kings- 
bridge  road,  297,  308,  323;  course 
of,  298,  353;  "Old,"  308;  changes 
in  upper  part  in  last  decade,  309; 
suspension  bridge  at  Trinity  ceme- 
tery, 314;  Albany  Post-road,  344, 

345.  348,  387.  394,  40i,  407.  415. 
422,  430,  437,  445,  447,  459;  S. 
Broadway  in  Yonkers,  355;  N. 
Broadway  in  Yonkers,  360;  High- 
land Turnpike,  360,  401,  407; 
Ichabod  Crane's  ride,  368;  no 
trolley  on,  in  Tarrytown,  370; 
merges  in  Boston-Albany  Post- 
road,  459 

Brodhead,  Dr.  John  Romevn, 
codifies  Dutch  records,  4;  resident 
cf  Clermont,  446 

Bronk,  Jonas,  first  settler  on  main- 
land, 343;  gives  name  to  Bronx 
River,  343 

Bronx,  River,  62,  343;  Chapter, 
D.  A.  R.,  437 

Brooklyn  ferry,  9 

Brooks,  Preston,  attack  upon  Sum- 
ner, 183 

Brougham,  John,  opens  Lyceum  T., 
208;  at  Wallack's  T.,  210 

Brower,  omnibuses,  145 

Brown,  Geo.  Farrar  (Artemus 
Ward),  at  Pfaff's,  189 

Brown,  Henry  K.,  sculptor,  224 

Brown,  Thos.  Allston,  footnote, 
192;  quoted,  210 

Brunei,  experiments  with  steam- 
boats, 444 

Bruyn,  Jan  Hendrick,  grant  in 
Kinderhook,  452 

Bryant,  Dan,  minstrels,  193,  217 

Bryant,  Wm.  Cullen,  editor,  74, 
155,  156,  157,  207 

Buckley,  Thomas,  farrn,  298 

Bunker  Mansion  House,  51 


480 


Index 


Burchard,  Rev.,  "Rum,  Romanism, 

and  Rebellion,  "  240 
Burgoyne,    Gen.    John,  invasion, 

425,  443;  prisoner  at  Van  Schaack 

house,  452;  his  captured  troops 

at  Ft.  Cralo,  461 
Burials    prohibited   below  Canal 

St.,  60 

Burke,  lone,  at  Niblo's,  205 
Burling,  Samuel,  offers  trees  for 

Broadway,  176 
Burling,  Thomas,  farm,  222 
Burnall,  Ebenezer,  farm,  310 
Burnet,  Gov.,  lat.  and  long,  of 

fort,  21 

Burnham's  Mansion  House,  293, 
294 

Burns,  George,  tavern-keeper,  opens 

coffee  house,  63 
Burns's  Coffee  House,  meeting  at, 

21;    opened,    63;    lottery,  63; 

hdqrs.  Sons  of  Liberty,  63,  104; 

non-importation  agreements,  63, 

64;  other  meetings,  64;  duel,  64; 

stamped  paper  displayed,  100 
Burr,    Aaron,    forms  Manhattan 

Co.,  37;  friend  of  Vanderlyn,  129; 

guides  Putnam's  retreat,  133,  266; 

duel  with  Hamilton,  316,  321, 

45 J>  3l7'<  marries  Madam  jumel, 

319;  death,  321 
Burton,  "Billy,"  manager,  184,  207 
Burton,  Deborah,  farm,  266 
Burying  Ground,  location,  6,  42; 

partitioned,  50;  closure,  60 
Butler,    Wm.    Allen,    resident  of 

Yonkers,  368 
Byrd,  James,  farm,  310 

C 

Cable  road  in  Broadway,  228 

Cafe"  de  l'OpeYa,  258,  259 

Cafe  des  Milles  Colonnes,  opened 

by  Pinteaux,  183 
Cafe  Martin,  formerly  Delmonico's, 

248 

Cahoone,  grocer,  164 

Call  Rock  at  Poughkeepsie,  424 

Campbell  minstrels,  193 

Camps,  East  and  West,  Palatine 

settlements,  439,  440 
Canal,  Erie,   115,  467;  plans  for 

East   River-Hudson,   332,  333; 

Harlem  Ship,  334 


Cape,  John,  tavern-keeper,  66 
Capital,  N.  Y.  City,  25,  26,  467; 
various  places,  467;  removed  to 
Albany,  467 
Capitol,  463;  first  at  Albany  467; 
scandalous  construction  of  pres- 
ent, 468;  injury  by  fire,  468 
Capske  rocks,  foundation  for  the 

Battery,  18 
Capture  of  Andre\  story  of,  373-380 
Carey,  Matthew,  publisher,  66 
Carleton,  Gen.  Sir  Guy,  hdqrs.,  44; 
buries  Montgomery's  body,  72; 
meets    Washington    at  Dobbs 
Ferry,  363 
Carman,  David,  estate  on  Washing- 
ton Heights,  309 
Carmansville,  Washington  Heights, 
3"9 

Carr,  Capt.,  Colve's  messenger,  86 
Carter  &  Brothers,  booksellers,  75 
Carter,  James  C,  counsel  for  Jacob 

Sharp,  232 
Carvell,  G.  &  C,  booksellers,  74 
Castle   Island,   fort,   2,   462;  re- 
mains of  French  fort,  462 
Cat  Hill,  in  the  Highlands,  408 
Causeway  at  Macomb  St.,  Kings- 
bridge,  345,  348 
Cemeteries:  Dutch  burying-ground, 
6,  42,  50,  60;  Trinity  graveyard, 
60,  61,  64,  70;  St.  Paul's  grave- 
yard, 25 , 70-73 ;  Trinity :  Knowlton 
and  Leitch  buried,  306,  310 — sus- 
pension bridge,  311,314 — opening 
of,  314 — Audubon  cross,  314 — 
John  A.  Dix  grave,  314;  Sleepy 
Hollow,  Dutch  and  Revolution- 
ary burials,  384 — Irving's  grave; 
384;   St.   Peter's   at  Cortlandt- 
ville,    Paulding    and  Pomeroy 
monuments,    398;  Kinderhook, 
grave  of  Van  Buren,  451,  452 
Central  Park,  developed,  126;  288; 

fortifications,  124,  307 
Century    House,    built    by  Jan 
Nagcl,  340;  terminus  of  Harlem 
River  boats,  341 
Chain  across  Hudson,  397,  410 
Chambers,   Capt.,   brings  tea  to 

N.  Y.,  106 
Chambers,  John,  leases  the  Bowling 

Green,  19 
Champe,  Sergeant,  plot  to  capture 
Arnold,  46-48 


Index 


Chanfrau,  Frank,  at  Olympic  T., 
200 

Charitable  Institutions:  House  of 
Refuge  for  Juvenile  Delinquents, 
238,  314;  Sheltering  Arms,  310; 
Hebrew  Orphan  Asylum,  310; 
Montefiore  Home,  310,  312;  Col- 
ored Orphan  Asylum,  312;  Deaf 
and  Dumb  Asylum,  312 

Charlton,  Dr.,  52 

Chastellux,  Marquis  de,  description 
of  Fishkill,  418 

Chelsea  Village,  228,  234 

Chimney  sweeps,  40 

Cholera,  visitations  of,  129 

Christian  Brothers  (R.  C),  Man- 
hattan Coll.,  308;  St.  Joseph's 
Normal  School  at  Tarrytown,  372 

Christiensen,  explorer  with  Block,  2 

Christy  minstrels,  193 

Chrystance,  Hendrick,  first  Dutch- 
man on  sites  of  Albany  and  Troy, 
462 

Church,  Established,  58 

Church  farm,  Trinity  acquires,  136; 
race  course  on,  137;  173 

Church,  Francis,  farm,  266 

Churches:  St.  Nicholas,  how  built, 
12,  14 — burnt,  20;  Dutch,  in 
Garden  St.,  Leisler  and  Milborne 
reburied,  18;  Trinity,  history  of, 
58 — chimes,  59 — churchyard,  60, 
70 — graves  of  Lawrence,  Fulton, 
and  Hamilton,  60,  61 — grave  of 
Charlotte  Temple,  61 — prison 
martyrs'  monument,  61 — Capt. 
Tollemache  buried,  64 — acquires 
Queen's  farm,  136 — builds  St. 
Paul's  Chapel,  136 — offers  land 
to  Lutherans,  173;  German  Luth- 
eran, built  by  Palatines,  61  — 
burnt,  61 — refuses  land,  173; 
Grace,  offshoot  of  Trinity,  61 — 
two  locations,  61,  179 — view  of, 
180 — prevents  street  cutting, 
180 — weddings,  180;  St.  Paul's 
Chapel,  Broadway  extends  to,  42 ; 
52 — churchyard,  25,  70,  71  — 
saved  from  fire  of  1776,  71 — tablet 
to  Montgomery,  72 — view  of,  73 — 
view  from,  81 — erection,  136;  St. 
Thomas's,  181 — view  of,  182 — 
bodies  removed  from,  314;  Broad- 
way Congregational,  181 ;  Unitar- 
ian of  the  Divine  Unity,  182; 


Church  of  the  Messiah,  182; 
Scotch  Baptist,  182;  Sweden  - 
borgian,  182;  St.  George  the 
Martyr,  182;  Broadway  Taber- 
nacle (Cong.),  182 — view  of,  184, 
271 — May  meetings,  183 — con- 
certs, 183 — Sumner  meeting,  183 
— removals,  183,  254;  Blooming- 
dale  Reformed  Dutch,  289,  290; 
Rutgers  Riverside  Presbyterian, 
history  of,  290,  291;  St.  Teresa's 
Roman  Catholic,  290;  Madison 
Avenue  Presbyterian,  291;  Christ 
Protestant  Episcopal,  history  of, 
291;  Manhattan  Congregational, 
292;  Blessed  Sacrament  (R.  C), 
292;  First  Baptist,  292;  Evangeli- 
cal Lutheran,  292;  Cathedral  of 
St.  John  the  Divine  (P.  E.),  302; 
Annunciation  (R.  C),  308;  St. 
George's  (P.  E.),  bodies  removed 
to  Trinity  Cemetery,  314;  St. 
Stephen's  (P.  E.),  bodies  re- 
moved to  Trinity  Cemetery,  314; 
Spanish  (R.  C),  316;  St.  Luke's 
(P.  E.),  316;  Our  Lady  of 
Lourdes  (R.  C),  Hamilton  trees 
on  property,  317;  Holyrood 
Chapel  (P.  E.),  increment  in 
land  values,  324;  325;  St.  Eliza- 
beth (R.  C),  324;  Mt.  Washing- 
ton Presbyterian,  324 — view  of, 
327;  St.  John's,  Yonkers,  355 — ■ 
part  of  Westchester  parish,  356, 
357— view  of,  356— erected,  356— 
various  rectors,  356,  357 — history 
of,  357;  Christ  (P.  E.),  at  Tarry- 
town,  tablet  to  Irving,  372;  373; 
Sleepy  Hollow  (R.  D.),  history  of, 
382,383 — bi-centenary,384;  Shep- 
ard  Memorial,  at  Scarborough, 
385;  St.  Peter's  (P.  E.),  at  Cort- 
landtville,  398;  Trinity  (P.  E.), 
at  Fishkill,  414,  416;  Reformed 
Dutch,  at  Fishkill,  erection,  415 — 
used  by  legislature,  415 — view 
of,  416;  422;  Reformed  Dutch, 
at  Poughkeepsie,  425;  Reformed 
Dutch,  at  Claverack,  448;  Re- 
formed Dutch,  at  Kinderhook, 
452,  454;  Reformed  Dutch,  at 
Albany,  464 
Cincinnati,  Order  of  the,  formed, 
420 

Circle,  the,  274 


31 


482 


Index 


City  of  New  Amsterdam,  Dutch 

surrender  of,  10 
City  Hall  (old),  45;  jail,  92;  prison, 

94 

City  Hall  (new),  tablet  on,  108; 
erection  of,  no,  112;  "Governors' 
Room,"  114;  celebrations  and 
receptions  in,  115;  clock,  115; 
flags  on,  115;  cupola  burnt,  116; 
N.  Y.  Historical  Society  formed, 
116;  bodies  lie  in  state,  117,  118; 
picture  of,  123 

City  Hall  Park,  84;  view  of,  in, 
113;  Atlantic  cable  celebration, 
116;  subway  tablet,  118;  bar- 
racks, 118;  meetings  of  War  of 
1812,  121,  122;  abolition  and 
anti-steamboat  meetings,  124; 
panic  of  1837,  125;  panic  of  1857, 
126;  draft  riots,  128;  attempts 
to  save,  131 

City  Hotel,  picture,  65;  erected,  66; 
first  meeting  of  publishers,  66; 
history  of,  66-68,  157;  demolition, 
188 

City  Library,  in  City  Hall,  114 
Civil  War,  meeting  in  Union  Square, 
226;  cannon  and  projectiles  cast 
at  Cold  Spring  Foundry,  411 
Clapp,  Henry,  journalist,  189 
Claremont,  278,  295,  298,  299 
Clark,  Austin  &  Co.,  booksellers,  75 
Clark  &  Brown,  English  restaurant, 
248 

Clark,  Lewis  Gaylord,  editor,  75, 
157 

Clarke,  George,  at  Daly's  T.,  251 
Clarke,  McDonald,  the  mad  poet, 
167 

Clarkson,  David,  162;  sells  prop- 
erty, 166 

Clarkson,  David  M.,  farm,  283;  298 

Clason,  Isaac,  farm,  222 

Claverack,  Potthoke  of  the  Indians, 
439;  Livingston  buys,  439;  Ful- 
ton Museum  at,  444;  principal 
street,  445;  origin  of  name,  447; 
land  1  'I  >ugh1  in,  448;  Lower  Alain  >r 
of  Renssclaerswyck,  450,  461; 
first  settlers,  450;  Palatines  settle 
in,  450;  county  seat,  450;  court- 
house still  standing,  450,  460 

Claverack  Creek,  445 

Claverack  Landing,  site  of  the 
city  of  Hudson,  456 


Clay,  Henry,  funeral,  82;  reception 
at  City  Hall,  115;  139;  guest  at 
Van  Schaack  house,  454 

Clermont,  437;  disputed  ownership, 
441 ;  devised  to  Robt.  Livingston, 
2d,  441 ;  mansions  burnt  by 
British,  444;  principal  street,  445 

Cleveland,  Grover,  in  presidential 
campaign,  240 

Clinton,  De  Witt,  lessee,  27;  presi- 
dent Historical  Society,  116; 
president  Deaf  and  Dumb  Insti- 
tution, 312 

Clinton,  Gov.  George,  occupies 
Government  House,  26;  attends 
St.  Paul's,  71;  funeral,  82;  at 
Van  Cortlandt  mansion,  353;  at 
Dobbs  Ferry,  363;  opposes  Fed- 
eral Constitution,  426 

Clinton,  Gov.  Henry,  confers  with 
Indians,  19,  20 

Clinton,  Gen.  Sir  Henry,  hdqrs., 
44;  directs  Andre\  44;  deceived 
by  allied  armies,  355;  learns  of 
Andre's  capture,  378;  realizes 
importance   of    Highlands,  397 

Clothes,  53,  54 

Clubs:  Union  formed,  67;  Bread 
and  Cheese,  154,  189;  Union 
League,  227;  St.  George  Cricket, 
248 

Cochran,  Wm.  P.,  builds  Holly- 
wood Inn,  355;  his  widow  donates 
Philipse  manor-house,  357 

Coghlan,  Charles  and  Rose,  at 
Wallack's  T.,  210 

Cold  Spring,  407;  foundries,  411; 
origin  of  name,  411;  Hudson 
River  scenery  at,  412 

Colden,  A.,  postmaster,  21 

Colden,  Cadwalader,  burnt  in  effigy, 
21;  64,  98,  100;  secures  charter 
for  N.  Y.  Hospital,  148;  at 
Blue  Bell  Tavern,  331;  describes 
the  Highlands,  406 

Coles  builds  Harlem  bridge  and 
new  Boston  road,  350 

Collect,  the,  36,  77;  common  prop- 
erty, 84;  view  of,  85;  powder- 
house  in,  90;  plans  to  drain, 
171,  172;  proposed  canal,  332 

Colics,  Christopher,  water  supply 
for  N.  Y.,  36,  166 

Colon  Donck  (Donck's  Colony), 
346 


Index 


483 


Colonial  Dames,  try  to  get  custody 
of  Morris  House,  321;  museum 
in  Van  Cortlandt  mansion,  352 

Colonial  landowners  and  merchants, 

359  .  , 
Columbia  College  and  University 
(see  King's  Coll.),  63;  reopened 
and  renamed,  147;  removal,  147; 
locates  in  Bloomingdale,  302; 
view  of,  303;  library  built,  305; 
Earl  Hall,  305;  Knowlton  tablet, 
305 

Columbia  County,  formed  from 
Albany  Co.,  436;  first  road  in, 
445;  fine  farms,  446;  first  county 
seat,  450;  county  seat  removed 
to  Hudson,  450 

Columbus  celebration,  82 

Colve,  Capt.  Anthony,  Dutch  gov- 
ernor, 16;  marches  down  Broad- 
way, 16;  lands  at  the  Commons, 
86;  takes  fort,  88 

Colville,  Lord,  burnt  in  effigy,  100 

Colvin,  omnibuses,  146 

Commission  to  lay  out  streets,  per- 
sonnel, 174;  plan  for  Broadway, 
179;  plan  for  drill  ground,  238 

Common  Council,  see  Bd.  of  Alder- 
men 

Commons,  the  (or  Fields),  location, 
21;  proposed  site  of  market,  39; 
gathering  place,  84,  85;  boun- 
daries, 85;  drill  ground,  88;  map, 
89;  place  of  execution,  87,  90,  95; 
powder-house,  90;  almshouse, 
9°>  95»  96;  kilns,  90;  Provost 
prison,  92;  bridewell,  92;  New 
Jail,  92;  boat  burned,  98;  Stamp 
Act  demonstrations,  98;  cele- 
brations of  repeal,  100,  101; 
liberty-poles,  92,  100,  101,  105; 
various  meetings  in,  102;  Nathan 
Rogers  hung  in  effigy,  105; 
"great  meeting"  in,  106;  meeting 
of  Sons  of  Liberty,  107;  Declara- 
tion of  Independence  read,  108; 
potter's  field,  108 
Concord,  news  of  battle  of,  107 
Conkling.Roscoe,  counsel  for  Senate 

committee,  232 
Conklin's,  in  Tarrytown,  344 
Connecticut,  disputes  boundary,  8; 

stirs  up  Indians,  423 
Connolly,   Richard    B.,  "Slippery 
Dick, "  229 


Conover,  Stephen,  merchant,  164 
Constitution,  the  Federal,  24;  rati- 
fication by  the  State,  426,  427 
Constitution  Island,  chain  across 
Hudson,  397,  410;  Warner  prop- 
erty, 410;  fortifications,  410;  to 
become  Government  property, 
411 

Continental  Village,  history  of,  400; 
small-pox  inoculation  at,  400 

Contoit,  John  H.,  garden,  193,  194; 
becomes  N.  Y.  Garden,  194; 
view  of,  195 

Contraband  trade,  Philipse's  in- 
terest in,  346;  general  in  the 
colonies,  359 

Convention,  Albany,  its  plans,  466 

Cooley,  Keese  &  Hill,  auctioneers, 

Cooper,  James  Fenimore,  quoted, 
85,  348,  412,  419;  forms  "Bread 
and  Cheese"  Club,  153,  154; 
resident  of  Broadway,  202,  208; 
memorial  service  for,  207;  foot- 
note, 364 

Cooper,  Dr.  Myles,  first  president 
of  King's  Coll.,  147 

Cooper,  Peter,  at  Union  Sq.  meet- 
ing, 226 

Cooper,  Thomas,  manager  Park 
T.,  166 

Corbett,  John,  tavern-keeper,  52 

Corean  Embassy  received  by 
Pres't  Arthur,  240 

Cornbury,  Gov.  Lord,  dresses  in 
women's  garb,  16;  Hyde  Park 
named  after  him,  431 

Cornwallis,  Lord,  47;  goes  through 
Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek,  341 ;  en- 
trapped at  Yorktown,  Va.,  354; 
crosses  Hudson  River,  361; 
surrender  of,  426 

Corrie,  Joseph,  opens  Mt.  Vernon 
Garden,  194 

Cortlandtville,  original  site  of 
Peekskill,  397;  Washington's 
hdqrs.  at,  398;  ancient  cemetery, 
398;  entrance  to  Highlands,  407 

Cosine,  Catherine,  farm,  266 

Cosine,  John,  farm,  266 

Cosine,  Rachel,  farm,  266 

Coster,  John  G.,  house  on  Broad- 
way, 137;  how  Astor  bought 
his  property,  138 

Cotte,  confectioner,  137 


4»4 


Index 


Counties,  Province  divided  into, 
343,  412,  436;  State  redistricted, 
349.  425 

County  court-house,  cost,  112; 
authorized  and  built,  129;  new 
site  for,  130 

Courtenay,  Lord,  farm,  298;  occu- 
pies Claremont,  300 

Cowboys,  British  irregulars,  364 

Cowman,  John,  farm,  222 

Cowpath,  the  (Pearl  St.),  32 

Cox,  garden,  194 

Cozzens,  Frederick  W.,  author 
Sparrow-Grass  Papers,  resident 
of  Yonkers,  368 

Crabtree,  Lotta,  backs  Park  T., 
235 

Cralo  (or  Crawlier),  terminus  of 
Albany  Post-road,  344;  owned 
by  De  Laet,  461;  conveyed  to 
Johannes  Van  Rensselaer,  461 

Crane,  Ichabod,  character  of  Irv- 
ing's,  368;  crosses  Pocantico 
brook,  381;  original  of,  451,  452 

Croaker  Papers,  the,  extract  from, 
75.  76 

Crom  Elboge  (Crooked  Elbow), 
Fishkill  Creek,  415 

Croton  dams,  388 

Croton  Landing,  392 

Croton  River,  American  posts  on, 
363,  391;  N.  boundary  of  Philips- 
burgh  Manor,  387;  Indian  name, 
387;  ferry  and  bridge,  387;  ferry, 
388;  bridge,  391;  American  post 
routed,  391 

Croton  water,  28,  37,  225;  cele- 
bration, 37,  82,  115,  116;  aque- 
duct, 381,  385 

Crown  Market,  see  Markets 

Cruger,  Mrs.,  attacked  by  Amer- 
icans, 283 

Crugers,  village  on  Albany  Post- 
road,  394 

"Cullen's  Magnesium  Shop,"  76 

Cunningham,  Capt.  Wm.,  cruelty 
to  American  prisoners,  93,  105; 
whipped  by  Liberty  Boys,  105; 
destroys  liberty-pole,  105;  hangs 
Nathan  Hale,  12 1 

Custom-house,  in  the  Whitehall,  14; 
in  Government  House,  26;  present 
one  on  site  of  fort,  28,  30 

Cutting,  Minnie  Seligman,  at 
Niblo's  Garden,  205 


D 

Daly,  Augustin,  manager,  214,  217, 
251 

Damen,  Jan  Jansen,  farm,  10,  11,  68 

Dana,  Charles,  journalist,  156 

"Dandy"  Cox,  168 

Danckers  visits  Claverack,  450 

Daughters  of  American  Revolution, 
liberty-pole  tablet,  105;  try  for 
custody  of  Morris  house,  321; 
form  Washington  Hdqrs.  Asso- 
ciation, 323;  tablet  on  Morris 
house,  323 ;  Bronx  Chapter  places 
monument  on  Indian  Field,  437 

Davenport  brothers,  spiritualists, 
at  Hope  Chapel,  218 

Davis,  Abraham,  erects  Broadway 
Hotel,  186 

Davis,  Charles,  member  "Bread 
and  Cheese"  Club,  154 

Dawson,  Henry  B.,  quoted  in  re 
Hamilton,  footnote,  107 

Dawson,  Robert,  livery  stable 
keeper,  76 

Dayton,  Abram  C,  quoted,  201 

De  Hcere  Graft,  Dutch  name  for 
Broad  St.,  8 

De  Kay,  member  "Bread  and 
Cheese"  club,  154 

De  Kay,  Jacob,  receives  grant  from 
Stuyvesant,  305 

De  Laet  secures  Greenbush,  461; 
Greenbush  called  De  Laet's  Burg, 
461 

De  Lancey,  Miss  Charlotte,  at- 
tacked by  Americans,  283 

De  Lancey,  Etienne,  Huguenot 
immigrant,  61;  mansion,  61 

De  Lancey,  Lt.-Col.  James,  at- 
tempt to  capture  Col.  Gist,  357 

De  Lancey,  Lt.-Gov.  James,  62; 
describes  the  Highlands,  406 

De  Lancey,  Oliver,  brigadier  of 
loyalists,  283;  mansion  destroyed 
by  Americans,  283;  property 
confiscated,  284 

De  Lancey,  Madam  Oliver,  at- 
tacked by  Americans,  283 

De  Lancey,  Peter,  62 

De  Lar.dt  Poorle,  gate  at  Wall  St. 
and  Broadway,  9 

De  Peyster,  Abraham,  becomes 
mayor,  18;  statue  in  Bowling 
Green,  18 


Index 


485 


De    Peyster    family,    owners  of 

property,  50 
De  Peyster,  James,  farm,  298 
De  Peyster,  Nicholas,  farm,  298 
De  Vries,  advice  to  Kieft,  383 
De  Witt,  trader,  2 
De   Witt,    Simeon,  commissioner 

to  lay  out  streets,  174 
Decatur,  Capt.  Stephen,  banquet  at 

City    Hotel,    66;    reception  at 

City  Hall,  115 
Declaration  of  Independence,  news 

of,   reaches   city,   22;    read  to 

troops,    108;    read    at  White 

Plains,  416 
Delacroix  opens  Vauxhall  Garden 

on  Bayard  farm,  194 
Delmonico's,  28;  uptown,  248 
Delonguemare,  Nicholas,  farm,  310 
Depew,  Chauncey,  delivers  oration 

at  Andre  centenary,  375 
Dermer,  Capt.  Thomas,  visits  Man- 
hattan, 8 
Dewey,  Admiral  George,  return  to 

U.  S.,  244;  arch,  246 
Dey,    Teunis,    owner   of  Damen 

farm,  68 

Dickens,  Charles,  banquet  at  City 
Hotel,  67;  139,  156 

Dickey,  Robert,  farm,  310 

Ditch  in  Broad  St.,  6,  8 

Ditson  &  Co.,  music  store,  222 

Dix,  John  A.,  at  Union  Sq.  meeting, 
226;  Post,  G.  A.  R.,  314;  grave 
in  Trinity  cemetery,  314 

Dix,  Rev.  Dr.,  describes  departure 
of  troops,  140-142 

Dobbs  Ferry,  314;  origin  of  name, 
361;  ferry  at,  361;  attempt  to 
change  name,  361,  362;  in  Neu- 
tral Ground,  363 

Dockstader,  "Lew,"  minstrels,  250 

Doctors'  Riot,  148,  149 

Dolbeer,  Stephen,  tavern-keeper  at 
the  Blue  Bell,  332 

Dongan,  Gov.  Thomas,  14;  cuts 
road  across  the  Fields,  85; 
divides  city  into  wards,  133;  309; 
grants  in  Dutchess  Co.,  414; 
grant  to  Peter  Schuyler,  423; 
grant  to  Kips,  432;  friendly  to 
Livingston,  437;  patent  to  Liv- 
ingston, 439;  confirms  Claverack 
purchase,  448 ;  patent  to  Schuyler 
in  Kinderhook,  452;  patent  to 


town  of  Kinderhook,  454;  con- 
firms patent  for  Rensselaerswyck, 
461 ;  grants  charter  to  Albany,  466 

Doughty,  Elias,  disposes  of  Van 
der  Donck's  land,  346 

Draft  Riots,  126-128,  312 

Drake,  Joseph  Rodman,  quoted, 
75.  76;  155 

Draper,  Wm.,  M.D.,  resident  of 
Irvington,  369 

Drew,  John,  at  Daly's  T.,  251; 
at  Empire  T.,  261 

Duane,  James,  consulted  by  Bd. 
of  Aldermen,  39;  mayor,  in 
Doctors'  Riot,  149 

Duer,  John  and  William,  members 
"Bread  and  Cheese"  Club,  154 

Dugdale  &  Searle,  ropewalk,  136 

Duke  of  York  and  Albany,  see 
James  II. 

Duke's  County  formed,  412 

"Duke's  Plan,"  the,  9 

Durland's  Riding  Academy,  274 

Dutch,  charter  New  Netherland 
Trading  Co.,  2;  traders,  2;  form 
West  India  Co.,  3 — its  objects, 
3 — destruction  of  archives,  4 — 
trouble  with  Indians,  4,  5,  422, 
434;  settlers, 3,  6 — at  Harlem, 132; 
at  Bloomingdale,  288;  at  Tarry- 
town,  383;  above  Highlands,  395; 
at  Fishkill,  415;  at  Poughkeepsie 
425;  at  Claverack,  452;  at 
Albany,  466; — grants,  5,  6,  10; 
build  fort,  12;  reconquer  N.  Y., 
16,  86,  88,  465;  streets,  31; 
taverns,  42;  holidays,  86 

Dutchess  County,  included  Putnam 
Co.,  401,  405;  formation,  412; 
attached  to  Ulster  Co.,  412; 
boundaries,  414;  Rhinebeck  pre- 
cinct, 432 

Dwight,  Theodore,  quoted  about 
Croton  River,  387 

Dyckman,  meadows,  328;  family 
as  patriots,  330 

Dyckman,  Alderman,  farm,  175 

Dyckman,  Jacob,  builds  Farmers' 
Bridge,  339;  erects  tavern,  340; 
tavern  passes  to  Hyatt,  340 

Dyckman,  Jan,  home  farm,  328; 
homestead,  328,  330 

Dyckman,  Matthew,  farm,  242 

Dyckman,  Lieut.  Wm.,  killed  at 
Eastchester,  330;  monument,  330 


486 


Index 


E 

Earle,  Gen.  Ferdinand  P.,  last 
owner  of  Jumel  property,  321 

Eastburn,  James,  &  Co.,  booksellers, 
75.  76 

Eastchester,  Lt.  Dyckman  killed  at, 

330;  British  post,  364 
Eckford,  Henry,  158 
Eden,  Aledeef,  farm,  266 
Edward  VII.    (Prince  of  Wales), 

reception  to,  82 
Eliot,  Lt.-Gov.  Andrew,  "Minto" 

estate,  178 
Ellerslie,  estate  of  Levi  P.  Morton, 

434 

Ellsler,    Fannie,    caricatured  by 

Mitchell,  200,  201 
Elm,  or  Wendell,  Park,  formerly 

Apthorpe  estate,  286;  drill  ground 

for  troops,  286;  Orange  picnics  at, 

286 

Elting,  patentee  of  Kipsburgh 
Manor,  432 

Embargo  Act  injures  Hudson's 
trade,  457 

Emmerick,  Lt.-Col.,  defeats  Stock- 
bridge  Indians,  353;  attempt 
to  capture  Col.  Gist,  357 

Emmet  farm,  266 

English,  first  visitors,  8;  settlement 
on  Westchester  Creek,  8;  church, 
58 

English,  Jane,  manager,  214 
Epidemics,  41,  77,  78,  129 
Equitable  Life  Insurance  Building, 
74 

Erie  Canal,  115,  467 

Esopus  Indians,  wars  with,  423, 

434;  sell  land  to  Kips,  432 
Esquatak,  Indian  name  of  Schodac, 

436 

Evertsen,  Admiral,  reconquers  N. 
Y.  for  Dutch,  16 

P  . 

Fair,  annual,  15;  cattle,  1 5 

Fall  Kill,  at  Poughkeepsie,  424; 

power  stream,  425 
Farmers'    Bridge,  view    of,  329; 

constructed  as  a  free  bridge,  339 
Farms,  10,  11;  W.  I.  Co.'s.,  6,  59; 

the  King's,  59,  135;  the  Queen's, 

136;  Dominie's,  136,  445;  church, 


136,  445;  Bayard's,  175;  Her- 
ring's, 175;  Dyckman's,  175; 
Bleecker's,  175;  Brevoort's,  179; 
Van  Oblinus,  310;  Gen.  Mont- 
gomery's at  Kingsbridge,  353; 
others,  222,  242,  266,  282,  283, 
298,  310 

Farragut,  Admiral  David  G, 
statue,  246;  resident  of  Hastings, 
369 

Fauconier,  Peter,  grant  of  Hyde 
Park,  431 

Faulkner,  Benjamin,  establishes 
brewery  in  Hudson,  457 

Fenton,  Gov.,  reviews  troops,  227 

Ferry,  to  Fort  Lee,  305,  308,  310, 
333;  Harlem,  338,  339,  344 

Fever,  yellow,  41,  77,  78 

Field,  Cyrus  W,  erects  Washing- 
ton Building,  45;  lays  Atlantic 
cable,  115;  161 

Fields,  the,  see  the  Commons. 

Fifth  Ave.,  omnibuses,  146,  147 

Firemen,  at  work,  20;  anecdote  of, 
at  Barnum's,  197 

Fire  protection,  buckets,  10;  wells, 
.34.  36 

Fires:  Province  House,  20;  great 
fire  of  1835,  37,  41;  of  1776,  42, 
52,  68,  71;  of  Barnum's,  199,  211 

Fishkill,  407,  412;  in  Rombout 
grant,  414;  origin  of  name,  415; 
legislature  at,  416;  military  d£pot, 
417;  State  Constitution  printed 
at,  419;  historic  houses,  419,  420 

Fisk,  James,  death  of,  187 

Fitzroy  road,  234 

Flagg,  Major,  monument,  330 

Flatiron  Building,  site  of,  235; 
construction,  236 

Fleischmann,  restaurant  and  bread 
line,  181 

Fletcher,  Gov.  Benj.,  privateering, 
43;  Established  Church,  58;  fa- 
vors privateering,  346;  unfriendly 
to  Livingston,  438 

Florence,  William,  at  Star  T.,  211 

Floyd  &  Co.,  auctioneers,  272 

Floyd,  Miss  Elizabeth,  attacked  by 
Americans,  283 

Fordham  Village,  340,  348,  349, 
British  outpost,  363 

Forrest,  Edwin,  Astor  PI.  riot, 
196;  at  Broadway  T.,  213 

Forrest,  Mrs.  Edwin,  53 


Index 


487 


Fort  Cralo,  oldest  habitation  in 
U.  S.,  461;  hdqrs.  of  Gen.  Aber- 
crombie,  461;  "Yankee  Doodle" 
written  in,  461;  owned  by  D.  A. 
R.,  462;  view  of,  462 

Fort  Washington,  capture  of,  94, 
341,  361;  site  of,  314,  324;  Park, 
324,  326;  defence  by  Magaw,  326; 
becomes  Ft.  Knyphausen,  326; 
tablet,  328 

Forts,  at  Castle  I.,  2;  on  Manhattan 
L,  2;  W.  I.  Co's.,  4;  Ft.  Am- 
sterdam, 12; — Van  Twiller's,  12; 
site  of,  14;  centre  of  provincial 
life,  14,  16;  Willem  Hendrick,  16; 
Ft.  James,  16;  Kalm's  descrip- 
tion, 20;  lat.  and  long,  of,  21; 
Sons  of  Liberty  at,  22;  council, 
24;  dismantled,  24;  British  evac- 
uate, 24;  demolition  of,  25;  relics 
from,  25;  State  sells  to  city,  27; 
sold  by  city,  27;  "Steamship 
Row,"  28;  site  for  custom-house, 
28; — British:  148,  174,  175,  341; 
Knyphausen,  326;  Prince  Charles 
and  Cock  Hill,  341; — American: 
Ft.  Tryon,  295,  326,  328;  Ft. 
Washington,  314,  324,  328;  Ft. 
Lee,  321,  326;  Ft.  George  on 
Laurel  Hill,  328;  Ft.  Indepen- 
dence at  Kingsbridge,  341,  350; 
at  Kingsbridge,  350;  Verplanck's 
Point,  394;  Ft.  Independence  in 
the  Highlands,  397; — War  of 
1812,  124,  307; — Ft.  Orange,  later 
Albany,  463; — becomes  Ft.  Nas- 
sau, 465 

Fortescue,  George,  at  Niblo's,  205 
"Forty    Thieves,"    the,    Bd.  of 

Aldermen,  229 
Fourth  of  July,  old  time  celebra- 
tion, 117 

Fox,    Charles    K.,    in  Humpty 

Dumpty,  214 
Fox,     George    L.,     in  Humpty 

Dumpty,  214 
Franchise  for  surface  railway  on 

Broadway,  228,  231 
Francis,  Chas.  S.,  &  Co.,  booksellers, 

75 

Francis,  Dr.,  quoted,  64 

Franklin,  Dr.  Benj.,  quoted,  34; 
at  Van  Cortlandt  manor-house, 
391 ;  plan  of  colonial  union,  466 

Fraunce's  Tavern,  63,  64 


Fremont,  Gen.  John  C,  resident 

of  Mt.  Pleasant,  369 
French,  Daniel,  sculptor,  30 
French  wars,  palisades  repaired,  9; 
Battery  constructed,  18;  delay 
settlement  of  Livingston's  Manor, 
439;  importance  of  Albany,  dur- 
ing, 466 

Freshwater  pond,  see  the  Collect 
Frohman,  Charles,  manager,  260, 
268 

Fuller  Co.  erects  Flatiron  Build- 
ing, 236 

Fulton,  Robert,  grave  of,  60;  cen- 
tenary, 115,  301;  experiments 
with  steamboats,  444;  museum 
at  Claverack,  444 

Funerals:  Hamilton,  82;  Mont- 
gomery, 82,  435;  Andre,  82; 
Monroe,  82;  Taylor,  82;  Clay, 
82;  Webster,  82;  Worth,  82; 
Lincoln,  82;  Grant,  82;  Clinton, 
82 

Fuyck,  the,  first  Dutch  name  for 
Albany,  465 

G 

Gage,  Gen.,  22;  hdqrs.,  46 
Gaines,  printer,  74 
Gallows  Hill,  origin  of  name,  399 
Garbage,  removal  of,  49;  hogs,  40, 
4i 

Gardens,  character  of,  193;  Mon- 

tagnie's  U.  S.,  193;  Parise's,  193; 

Contoit's,  193,  195;  Cox's,  194; 

Mt.  Vernon,  194;  Ranelagh,  194; 

Vauxhall,  194 — hired  by  Barnum, 

194;  Columbia,  202;  Niblo's,  202 
Gardequi,  Don  Diego  de,  occupies 

Kennedy  house,  44 
Garrison,  Wm.  Lloyd,  183 
Garrisons,  408;  fine  estates,  409 
Gates,  land  and  water,  9;  Zealandia, 

9;  discovery  of  foundations,  10 
Gates,  Gen.  Horatio,  433 
Gaynor,    Mayor   William,  vetoes 

Stilwell  bill,  131;  142 
Gen&t,  Citizen,  176 
George  III.,  statue  of,  22 ;  destroyed, 

22,  23 
George,  Henry,  31 
Germans,  parade,  82;  settlers  above 

the  Highlands,  415;  432 
Germon,  Effie,  at  Wallack's  T.,  210 


488 


Index 


Getty  Square,  in  Yonkers,  355,  356 
Gettysburg,  battle  of,  128 
Ghent,  treaty  of,  124 
Gifford,  Sanford,  resident  of  Hud- 
son, 459 

Gilbert,  Cass,  architect  of  custom- 
house, 30 

Gilbert,  John,  at  Wallack's  T., 
210 

Gilbert,  Mrs.,  at  Daly's  T.,  251 

Gilsey  estate,  Princess  T.,  anecdote 
of  "Sam."  T.  Jack,  250 

Gimbel  Brothers,  department  store, 
252,  255 

"Gingerbread"  man,  167 

Gist,  Colonel,  courts  Widow  Bab- 
cock,  357;  escapes  capture,  357 

Goelet,  Peter,  mansion,  223 

Golden  Hill,  battle  of,  103 

Goodrich,  A.T.,  &  Co.,  booksellers, 
76 

Gorham  Co.,  silversmiths,  223 
Gottsberger,  John,  farm,  282 
Gould,  Helen  Miller,  Lyndehurst 
estate  in  Tarrytown,  370,  371; 
her  patriotism,   371;  conserva- 
tories, 371 
Gould,  Jay,  historian  of  Delaware 
Co.,  369;  resident  of  Tarrytown, 

369.  371 

Goupil  &  Co.,  181 

Government,  first  city,  10 

Government  House,  built,  25;  occu- 
pied by  Governors  Clinton  and 
Jay,  26;  description  of,  26; 
becomes  custom-house,  26;  sale 
and  destruction  of,  27;  footnote, 
55 

Governor's  house  at  Albany,  465 
"Governors'  Room"  in  City  Hull, 
114 

Gramercy  pond,  237 

Grant,    Mayor    Hugh    J.,  232; 

appoints   Rapid   Transit  Com- 
mission, 279 
Grant,  Gen.  U.  S.,  funeral,  82; 

lies  in  state,   117;  tomb,  276, 

278,  295,  300,  301,  320 
Grasse,    Comte  de,    arrives  off 

Chesapeake  Bay,  354 
Great  Britain  acquires  New  Ncth- 

erland,  16 
"Great  White  Way,"  86,  256,  257, 

262 

Greeley,  Horace,  156 


Greenburgh  township,  360;  Dobbs 
Ferry,  362 

Greenbush,  Indian  Castle  at,  436; 
terminus  of  post-road,  459;  now 
called  Rensselaer,  461 ;  Ft.  Cralo, 
461 ;  military  dep&t  during  War 
of  1812,  462;  ferry  to  Albany, 
465;  bridge  to  Albany,  465 

Greene,  Lt.-Col.,  monument  to,  330 

Greene,  Maj.-Gen.  Nathanael,  pre- 
sides at  Andre  court-martial,  378 

Greenwich  Village,  during  fever 
epidemics,  78;  removal  of  old 
Newgate  from,  386 

Grenville,  Lord,  proposes  Stamp 
Act,  97;  effigy  burned,  100 

Greystone,  estate  at  Yonkers,  360 

Griscom,  Dr.  John,  footnote,  96 

Guerin's  restaurant,  186 

Guernsey  cattle  at  Ellerslie,  434 

H 

Hale,  Capt.  Nathan,  statue,  118; 
sketch  of  his  life,  1 19-12 1;  date 
of  journey,  306 

Hall,  Asa,  establishes  stage  to 
Greenwich,  145 

Hall  of  Records  (old),  site,  90; 
view,  93 

Hall  of  Records  (new),  95 

Halleck,  Fitz-Greene,  quoted,  foot- 
note, 56,  75,  76,  96,  155,  168, 
199;  154,  157;  lines  on  death  of 
Lieut.  Allen,  459 

Hamblin,  "Tom,"  manager,  213 

Hamilton,  Alexander,  procession 
in  honor  of,  24,  25;  lives  on 
Broadway,  52;  grave  of,  60; 
funeral,  82;  at  the  Fields,  106; 
121;  makes  Randall's  will,  178; 
"Grange,"  316,  317;  duel  with 
Burr,  316,  321,  451;  thirteen 
trees,  316;  meets  Washington, 
319;  supports  adoption  of  Fed- 
eral Constitution,  427;  guest  at 
Van  Schaack  house,  454 

Hamilton,  Elizabeth,  farm,  310; 
"dear  Betsy,"  316 

Hamilton,  Federal  Ship,  in  parade, 
25 

Hamilton,  James,  farm,  283 
Hammerstcin,  Oscar,  builds  Olym- 

pia,  268 
Hammond,  Abijah,  176 


Index 


489 


Hampden    Hall,    hdqrs.    Sons  of 

Liberty,  104;  site,  196 
Hardenbrook,  John,  farm,  282 
Hardy,  Gov.  Sir  Charles,  banquet 

to,  62 

Harlem,  settlement  of,  132;  boun- 
daries, 308;  grants  to,  309; 
division  of  common  lands,  309; 
grant  to  Kiersen,  317;  wading 
place,    328;    mere,    333;  ferry, 

338.  339.  344 
Harlem  Heights,  battle  of,  305- 

307;  moral  effect  of  battle,  307 
Harlem  Lane,  part  of  Boston  road, 

297 

Harlem  River,  ferry,  338,  339,  344; 

steamboats,  341 
Harper,  Mayor,  stops  aldermanic 

tea-parties,  117;  clears  up  public 

parks,  238 
Harper,  William,  opposes  adoption 

of  Federal  Constitution,  426 
Harrigan    &    Hart,    at  Wood's 

Theatre  Comique,  216;  open  their 

own  theatre,  218 
Harriman,  Mrs.  E.  H.,  gift  of  park 

to  State,  386 
Harrison,  Pres't  Wm.  Henry,  fu- 
neral, 82 
Harsen  farms,  266,  274,  288 
Harsenville,  Bloomingdale,  288 
Hart,  Eli,  &  Co.,  in  bread  riots,  125, 

126 

Hastings,  360;  Cornwallis  crosses 
river  at,  361 ;  fight  in,  361 ;  home 
of  Admiral  Farragut,  369 

Haswell,  Charles  H.,  quoted,  117, 
188 

Havemeyer  mansion,  33,  265;  farm, 
266 

Haverly,  J.  H.,  minstrels,  250 
Hawthorne,  Nathaniel,  139 
Hayes,  Jacob,  farm,  266 
Hayward,  William,  farm,  298 
Headless    Horseman,    legend  of, 

361,  368,  381 
Hearts    of    Oak,  Revolutionary 

militia,  77 
Heath,  Maj.-Gen.  William,  hdqrs. 
at  Blue  Bell  tavern,  332;  men- 
tions Hyatt's  tavern,  340;  at- 
tempts to  recover  Ft.  Inde- 
pendence, 341,  353;  commands 
in  the  Highlands,  397;  visited 
by  De  Chastellux,  418 


Heathcote,  Col.  Caleb,  grant  at 
Hyde  Park,  431 

Heere  Straat,  becomes  Broadway, 
31 ;  Peek  located  on,  395 

Heerewegh,  becomes  Boston  post- 
road,  85 

Heermance  Place  built  by  Kip,  432 

Hegeman  farm,  266 

Heidelberg  Building,  259 

Hendricks,  Harmon,  buys  Van- 
denheuvel  property,  294 

Henriques  farm,  298 

Herald,  N.  Y.,  at  Ann  St.,  199;  at 
36th  St.,  253,  254 

Herbert,  Henry  W.  (Frank  For- 
rester), suicide  of,  189 

Herkimer,  Gen.,  descended  from 
Palatines,  440 

Hermann,  magician,  at  Star  T.,  211 

Heron,  Matilda,  at  Laura  Keene's 
Varieties  T.,  213 

Herring  estate,  175 

Hessians,  at  Ft.  Washington,  326; 
at  Trenton,  332;  at  Marble  Hill, 
342;  stupidity  of,  357;  encounter 
with,  at  Hastings,  361 

Highland  Turnpike  Co.,  fills  in 
marsh  at  Kingsbridge,  345;  se- 
cures Albany  Post-road,  360; 
new  road  through  Highlands, 
399,  407;  445;  opens  road  to 
Hudson,  458 

Highlands,  the,  363,  395;  military 
importance  of,  396;  fortifica- 
tions in,  397;  various  commanders 
of,  397;  post-road  through,  399; 
milestones  in,  399;  Morris's  ode 
to,  401 ;  autumnal  beauties  of, 
401;  description  of,  by  Gov. 
Hunter,  405;  descriptions  by 
Colden  and  De  Lancey,  406; 
minerals  in,  407;  at  Cold  Spring, 
412;  called  Matteawan  by  In- 
dians, 415;  visit  of  De  Chastellux, 
418 

Hill,  Harry,  dance-hall,  213 
Hispanic  Society  of  America,  316 
Historical  Society,  New  York,  24; 

formed,  116 
Hoffman,   Charles  Fenno,  editor, 

75.  156 

Hog  (or  Boar)  Hill,  site  of  American 
encampment,  360 

Hogg,  Thomas,  florist,  158;  gar- 
dens, 159 


490 


Index 


Hogs  as  street  scavengers,  41 
Holidays,  observance  of,  86 
Holland  E.  M.,  at  Wallack's  T., 
210 

Holland,  George,  at  Olympic  T., 
200;  appears  in  minstrels,  216 

Holland,  John  J.,  conducts  pano- 
rama, 166 

Holland  Society,  tablet  at  No.  1 
Broadway,  2;  tablet  at  City 
Hotel  site,  67 

Hollow  Way,  the,  location,  305; 
315;  Matje  David's  Vly,  333 

Hollywood  Inn,  how  established, 
355;  view,  356 

Holt,  John,  printer,  at  Pough- 
keepsie  during  Revolution,  426 

Hone,  Philip,  at  City  Hotel,  66; 
view  of  house,  99;  pavement 
on  Broadway,  135;  location  of 
house,  137;  154;  quoted,  177; 
quoted  in  regard  to  Burr-Jumel 
wedding,  319;  visit  to  Tarry- 
town,  371;  visit  to  Hyde  Park, 
430 

Hopper,  Andrew,  occupies  Hamp- 
den Hall,  196,  268;  farm,  266, 
267,  272;  view  of  house,  267; 
married  at  Bloomingdale,  290 
Horn,  John,  owner  of  site  of  Madi- 
son Sq.,  238,  242 
Hosack,  Dr.,  at  Hyde  Park,  430 
Hospital,  New  York,  site,  134; 
founded  and  built,  148;  reopened, 
148; "  Doctors'  Riot"  at,  148, 149; 
beauty  of  grounds,  150;  lunatic 
asylum  opened,  150;  removal  of, 
150;  new  site,  150;  view  of,  151; 
Bloomingdale  Asylum,  298,  302 
Hospital,  St.  Luke's,  location,  302 
Hotels:  Adelphi,  52;  American, 
formerly  Philip  Hone's  house, 
137;  Athenaeum,  166;  Barnum's 
(Howard  house),  53;  Broadway, 
Whig  hdqrs.,  186— drill-room  of 
2<lCo.,Seventh  Regt.,186;  Bunker 
Mansion,  formerly  McComb 
house,  51  j  Carlton,  166,  187; 
City,  see  City  Hotel;  Fifth  Ave., 
patronized  by  presidents,  240 — 
view,  241;  Florence's,  167,  187; 
Irving,  160;  La  Farge,  destroyed 
by  fire,  207 — becomes  Grand 
Central  Hotel,  207;  Metropolitan, 
view, 203 — erected,  204;  McAlpin, 


now  in  course  of  erection,  254; 
National,  74,  75;  New  York, 
popular  with  Southerners,  186— 
connected  with  schemes  of  Con- 
federacy, 186;  187;  N.  Y.  Athe- 
naeum, 72;  Raleigh,  recently  de- 
molished, 187;  Sinclair,  recently 
demolished,  187;  Spingler  House, 
222;  Stevens  House,  48 — suicide 
of  "Frank  Forrester"  in,  189; 
Sturtevant,  resort  of  army  and 
navy  officers,  248;  St.  Germain, 
on  site  of  Flatiron  Building,  236; 
St.  Nicholas,  187;  Tremont,  176; 
Tremont  Temperance,  53,  72; 
Washington,  in  Kennedy  man- 
sion, 44;  Washington  Hall,  67 — 
construction,  1 53 — Lawrence  ban- 
quet at,  153 — view  of,  153 — 
"Bread  and  Cheese"  Club  formed 
at,  153 — bought  by  A.  T.  Stew- 
art, 160 

Houston,  "Sam,"  at  Astor  House, 
139 

Howard,  Keeler  &  Scofield,  tailors, 
53 

Howe,  Sir  William,  hdqrs.,  44; 
at  Apthorpe  house,  288;  battle 
of  Harlem  Heights,  307 

Howells,  Wm.  Dean,  at  Pfaff's,  189 

Hudson,  447;  becomes  county-seat, 
450;  location,  456;  history  of, 
454-458;  ale,  457 

Hudson,  Henry,  explores  river,  1; 
bi-centenary,  82,  116;  tricen- 
tenary, 115,  300;  anchors  off 
Croton  R.,  388;  reaches  Peeks- 
kill  Bay,  395;  explorations  near 
Albany,  462 

Huguenot  settlers  above  High- 
lands, 415 

Hull,  tavern-keeper,  64 

Hull,  Capt.  Isaac,  banquet  at 
City  Hotel,  66;  reception  at 
City  Hall,  115 

Hull,  Capt.  William,  writes  of 
Hale's  execution,  121 

Hunter,  Dr.  Thomas,  president  of 
Normal  School,  178 

Hunter,  Gov.,  309;  reports  on 
the  Highlands,  405;  reports  on 
Palatines  on  Livingston  Manor, 
439 

Huntington,  Archer  M.,  his  gen- 
erosity, 316 


Index 


491 


Hutchins,  John,  tavern-keeper,  45 
Hyde  Park,  430;  in  "Nine  Part- 
ners' Grant,"  431;  origin  of 
name,  431 
Hydrographic  Office,  U.  S.,  time 
light,  70,  71;  continues  publica- 
tion of  Blunt' s   Coast  Pilot,  370 

I 

Ide,  Teunis,  grant  from  Stuyvesant, 
298 

Indian  Field,  scene  of  Indian  defeat, 
353;  monument  on,  436 

Indians,  wars  with  the  Dutch,  4, 
383,  422,  423;  Dutch  treaty 
with,  15,  463;  confer  with  Gov. 
Clinton,  19,  20;  villages,  343, 
372;  defeat  of  Stockbridge  tribe, 
353;  fur  trade  with,  359;  Kitch- 
iwonks  on  Croton  R.,  387; 
punitive  expedition  against  Iro- 
quois, 390;  Sackhoes,  later  Peeks- 
kill,  395;  Wicopees  in  High- 
lands, 412;  Wappingers,  422; 
Esopus  tribe,  424;  Sepiscoots, 
433;  battle-field  at  Upper  Red 
Hook,  433,  437;  Iroquois,  433; 
Esopus  war  with  Dutch,  434; 
Mohican  defeat  and  wanderings, 
436.  437;  Narragansetts,  437; 
attack  at  Kinderhook,  454;  trade 
with,  465 

Innes,  J.  H.,  quoted  concerning 
Whitehall,  14 

Invalids  in  Continental  army,  418 

Inwood,  295;  station,  324;  Ft. 
Tryon  at,  328 

Irving,  Henry,  at  Star  T.,  211; 
at  Knickerbocker  T.,  260 

Irving,  John  Treat,  brother  of 
Washington,  57 

Irving,  Washington,  anecdote  of, 
50,  51;  residence  on  Broadway, 
53;  footnote,  57;  banquet  to, 
66;  toastmaster,  67;  engaged  to 
Miss  Hoffman,  75;  Knickerbock- 
er's History  of  New  York  quoted, 
79,  80,  82;  ref.,  139,  154,  207, 
430;  story  of  Spuyten  Duy- 
vil  Creek,  336,  337;  home  at 
Sunnyside,  364,  367;  letter  of, 
364,  366;  portrait,  365;  descrip- 
tion of  Sunnyside,  366;  gives 
origin  of  name  Tarrytown,  372; 


tablet  on  Christ  Church,  372; 
grave  in  Sleepy  Hollow  Ceme- 
tery, 384;  Lowell's  lines  on,  384; 
story  of  Anthony's  Nose  moun- 
tain, 404;  visitor  at  Linden wald, 
451,  452;  guest  at  Van  Schaack 
house,  454 
Irving,  William,  footnote,  57 
Irvington,  origin  of  name,  364 
Irwin  Sisters  at  Tony  Pastor's,  216 

J 

Jack,  "Sam"  T.,  anecdote  of ,  250 

Jackson,  Andrew,  139;  at  New 
Orleans,  434 

Jacques,  Moses,  chairman  of  meet- 
ing, panic  of  1837,  125 

Jaehne,  Alderman,  punished  for 
bribery,  Broadway  railroad,  232 

Jail,  New,  see  Provost  prison 

James  II.,  lord-proprietor,  16;  ab- 
dication, 17;  farm,  135;  second 
title  given  to  Albany,  465 

Jameson,  Lt.-Col.,  receives  Andre 
as  a  prisoner,  377;  his  bad  judg- 
ment, 377;  recalls  Andre,  400 

Jans,  Annetje,  inherits  farm,  136; 
wife  of  Roelof  Jansen,  445 

Jansen,  Matthys,  grant  from  Kieft, 
328;  part  of  grant  given  to  Ver- 
veelen,  338;  heirs  attempt  to 
recover  land,  338 

Jansen,  Roelof,  grant  of  land  to,  5; 
widow  remarries,  136;  kill  named 
after,  414,  438;  sketch  of  career, 
445 

Japanese  embassy,  reception  to,  82 
Jarrett   &   Palmer    produce  The 

Black  Crook  at  Niblo's,  204 
Jauncey,  Miss,  marries  Col.  Thorne, 

286 

Jay  family  residents  of  Broadway, 
48 

Jay,  Gov.  John,  occupies  Govern- 
ment House,  26;  burnt  in  effigy, 
26;  gives  land  for  Broadway,  134; 
injured  in  Doctors'  Riot,  149; 
upholds  adoption  of  Federal 
Constitution,  427;  guest  at  Van 
Schaack  house,  454 

Jay,  Peter,  leases  Bowling  Green, 
19 

Jefferson,  Joseph,  at  Laura  Keene's 
Varieties  T.,  213 


492 


Index 


Jeffrey's  Point,  site  of  Ft.  Wash- 
ington, 315,  324 
Jenkins,    Thomas,   leader  of  the 

founders  of  Hudson,  24 
Jenner,  Dr.  William,  experiments 

with  vaccination,  400 
Jennings,    Chester,    of    the  City 

Hotel,  67,  76 
Johnson,  Gen.,  describes  departure 

of  British  from  Provost  prison,  94 
Johnson,    Dr.    Samuel,  simplified 

spelling,  412 
Joinville,  Prince  de,  banquet  to,  139 
Jones,  omnibuses,  146 
Jones,   Capt.  Jacob,  banquet  at 

City   Hotel,    66;   reception  at 

City  Hall,  115 
Jones,  Judge,  describes  attack  on 

De  Lancey  mansion,  283 
Jones,  Samuel,  legal  opinion  asked 

by  the  Corporation,  39 
Juet  commands  the  Half-Moon,  1 
Jumel,    Madam,    entertains,  319; 

marries  Burr,  319;  separates  from 

Burr,  321;  her  later  life,  321 
Jumel,  Stephen,  farms,  283,  310; 

acquires  Morris  property,  319; 

entertains,  319;  death,  319 
Juries,  appeal  from,  64 
Juvenile  Asylum,  at  Madison  Sq., 

238;  on  Washington  Heights,  314 

K 

Kalck  Hook,  fortifications  on,  148 
Kalm,  Professor,  description  of  the 
fort,  20 

Kcene,  Laura,  manager,  207,  213 

Kelly  &  Leon,  minstrels,  193 

Kemble,  Gouverneur,  associate  of 
Irving,  411;  establishes  Cold 
Spring  Foundry,  411 

Kennedy,  Capt.  Archibald,  col- 
lector of  port,  43-45;  refuses  to 
aid  Colden,  98 

Kennedy  house,  at  No.  1  Broadway, 
44;  hdqrs.  of  American  and 
British  generals,  44;  Andre's 
connection  with,  44;  later  occu- 
pants, 44,  45;  site  of  Washing- 
ton Building,  45 

Kent,  Chancellor,  guest  at  Van 
Schaack  house,  454 

Kidd,  Capt.  William,  pirate,  346; 
recommended  by  Livingston,  438 


Kieft,  Gov.  William,  Indian  wars, 
4,  383,  422,  423;  builds  fort  and 
church,  12,  13;  orders  fair,  15; 
24;  grant  to  Pieters,  309;  grants 
to  Jansen  and  Aertsen,  328 

Kiersen,  Hendrick,  original  owner 
of  Morris  property,  317 

Kiersted,  Lucas,  house  on  Broad- 
way, 33 

Kimberly,  G.,  farm,  282 

Kind,  Arthur,  farm,  242 

Kinderhook,  principal  street,  445; 
origin  of  name,  450;  first  grants 
in,  452;  Indians  attack,  454 

Kinderhook  Creek,  445 

King,  Rufus,  member  "Bread  and 
Cheese"  Club,  154;  buys  Clark- 
son  property,  166 

King's  Arms  Tavern,  45;  Gage's 
hdqrs.,  46;  becomes  Atlantic 
Garden,  46;  quarters  of  Arnold,  46 

Kingsbridge,  258,  315;  Indian  name 
of,  345;  township  formed,  350; 
becomes  part  of  N.  Y.  City,  350; 
sewer  in,  350;  British  post,  363 

Kingsbridge  road,  act  of  Provincial 
Assembly  forming,  297,  298; 
merges  with  Broadway,  308,  323; 
maintenance  of,  310;  ref.,  321, 
328 

King's   College,   opening   of,  63; 

meeting   of   governors    of,  64; 

Hamilton  at,  106;  137;  founding 

of,  147;  used  as  barracks,  147; 

becomes  Columbia  Coll.,  147 
King's  Ferry,  allied  armies  cross, 

355;  location  of,  355,  394;  Andr6 

and  Smith  cross,  394 
Kingsland,  Ambrose  C,  acquires 

Philipse  Castle,  381 
Kip,  Hendrick,  grant  of  Rhinebeck, 

432 ;  builds  Heermance  Place,  432 
Kip,  Jacobus,  grant  in  Dutchess 

Co.,  414;  grant  of  Rhinebeck,  432 
Kipp  &  Brown,  stage  owners,  145 
Kitchiwonks,  Indian  tribe  on  Cro- 

ton  R.,  387;  village  of  Sackhoes, 

later  Peekskill,  395 
Knickerbocker    authors,  sketches 

of,  154-158 
Knickerbocker,  Diedrich,  pseudo- 
nym of  Irving,  79;  symbol  of 

New  York  City,  157 
Knickerbocker  families,  origin  of, 

243 


Index 


493 


Knowlton,  Lt.-Col.,  commands 
Rangers,  120;  tablet  to,  304,  305; 
in  battle  of  Harlem  Heights,  306 

Knox,  Gen.  Henry,  at  Van  Cort- 
landt mansion,  353;  at  Dobbs 
Ferry,  363 

Knyphausen,  Lt.-Gen.,  hdqrs.  at 
Morris  house,  318,  319;  Ft. 
Washington  renamed  after,  326 

Kocks,  Pieter  (and  Annetje),  keep 
tavern  at  No.  1  Broadway,  42 

Kossuth,  Louis,  reception  to,  82 

Krigier,  Martin,  tavern-keeper,  42; 
site  of  tavern,  45;  in  war  with 
Esopus  Indians,  434 

L 

Labadists  describe  Claverack,  450 

Lafayette,  Marquis  de,  reception 
to,  82,  115;  statue  at  Union  Sq., 
224;  Guards,  228;  anecdote  of, 
236;  traps  Gornwallis,  354;  at 
Van  Cortlandt  manor-house,  391 ; 
visits  Poughkeepsie,  428;  visits 
Hudson,  458 

Lamb,  Col.  John,  buys  site  for 
liberty-pole,  92,  102 

Landings,  river,  430 

Landon,  Melville  D.  (Eli  Perkins), 
resident  of  Yonkers,  368 

Langdon,  Walter,  house  on  Broad- 
way, 176 

Langstaff,  Dr.  William,  friend  of 

Halleck  and  Drake,  158 
Langtry,  Mrs.  Lily,  first  American 

appearance,  235 
Lansing,  John,  opposes  adoption 

of  Federal  Constitution,  426 
Laurel  Hill,  site  of  Ft.  George,  328 
Lauzun,  Due  de,  at  Van  Cortlandt 

manor-house,  392 
Lawrence,  Capt.  James,  grave  of, 

60;    commands    Chesapeake  in 

her  fight  with  the  Shannon,  60; 

reception  at  City  Hall,  115 
Lawrence,    John,    buys  Clarkson 

property,  166;  farm,  310 
Leake  and  Watts  Orphan  Asylum, 

site  of  P.  E.  cathedral,  302 
Leavitt,  Jonathan,  bookseller,  74 
Leavitt,  Trow  &  Co.,  booksellers,  75 
Lee,  Gen.  Charles,  hdqrs.,  44,  108; 

arrives  in  N.  Y.  with  American 

troops,  108 


Lee,    "Light    Horse    Harry,"  in 

plot  to  capture  Arnold,  46 
Leisler,  Jacob,  becomes  governor, 
17;  trial  of,  17;  execution,  18,  90; 
remains  disinterred,  18;  Parlia- 
ment removes  attainder  against, 
18;  Livingston  his  enemy,  437 
Leislerians,  political  party,  18 
Leitch,  Major,  killed  in  battle  of. 

Harlem  Heights,  306 
Lent's  Circus  on  Broadway,  208 
Lewis,  Dr.  Dio,  resident  of  Yonkers, 
368 

Lewis,  James,  at  Daly's  T.,  251 
Lexington,  news  of  battle  reaches 
city,  107 

Liberty-pole,  site  of,  92;  first  one 
erected,  101;  others  erected,  101, 
102;  attacks  on,  104,  105;  final 
destruction  by  Cunningham,  105; 
tablet  to  commemorate,  105 

Library,  Society,  sketch  of,  164 

Lighting,  street,  37,  38 

"Lime-kiln"  man,  167 

Lincoln,  Pres't  Abraham,  funeral, 
82;  lies  in  state,  117;  139; 
statue  in  Union  Sq.,  224 

Lincoln,  Gen.  Benjamin,  captures 
British  outpost,  353 

Lind,  Jennie,  139,  206 

Lindenwald,  449;  built  by  Judge 
Van  Ness,  450;  Irving  visits,  451, 
452;  home  of  Van  Buren,  452 

Lispenard,  Leonard,  meadows,  171, 
172,  234,  332 

Livingston,  Brockholst,  farm,  283; 
becomes  owner  of  Apthorpe  es- 
tate, 286 

Livingston,  John,  Tory,  442 

Livingston,  Philip,  second  manor- 
lord,  441 ;  his  five  sons,  442 

Livingston,  Philip,  signer  of  the 
Dec.  of  Independence,  442 

Livingston,  Philip  Van  Brugh, 
changes  name  of  Dobbs  Ferry, 
361;  house,  hdqrs.  of  Washing- 
ton, 362,  363;  442 

Livingston,  Robert,  first  in  N.  Y., 
437;  sketch  of  his  life,  437-441; 
his  character,  441;  his  will, 
441 

Livingston,  Robert,  second,  in- 
herits Clermont,  441,  442;  drives 
off  Indians  at  Kindcrhook, 
454 


494 


Index 


Livingston,  Robert  R.,  judge  of 
supreme  court,  443;  letter  from 
his  wife,  444,  445 

Livingston,  Chancellor  Robert  R., 
Jr.,  leases  Bowling  Green,  24; 
upholds  adoption  of  Federal 
Constitution,  427;  433;  his  pub- 
lic services,  443;  his  house  burnt 
by  British,  444;  experiments  with 
steam  navigation,  444;  his  part- 
nership with  Fulton,  444;  intro- 
duces merino  sheep,  444 

Livingston,  Walter,  his  daughter 
marries  Fulton,  444 

Livingston,  William,  war  governor 
of  N.  J.  during  Revolution,  442 

Livingston's  Landing,  Dobbs  Ferry, 
361,  363 

Livingston  Manor,  414;  estates  on 
post-road,  434;  patent  for,  439, 
440;  manor-house  erected,  439; 
Palatine  settlement,  439;  survey 
and  map  made,  440 

Livingston  township,  439 

Lockyer,  Capt.,  brings  tea  to  N.  Y., 
106 

Loew  bridge  at  Fulton  St.,  78,  79 
Long  Island,  battle  of,  24 
Long   Island   Sound,  explorations 
of,  2 

Loockermans,  Govert,  farm  on 
Heere  Straat,  10 

Lorillard,  Jacob,  farm,  283 

Lorillard,  Pierre,  owner  of  Olympic 
T.  and  Tattersall's,  200 

Loring,  Commissary,  cruelty  to 
American  prisoners,  93 

Lossing,  Benson  J.,  resident  of 
Poughkeepsie,  428;  his  historical 
works,  428,  429 

Lots,  value  of,  10;  vacant,  31; 
extend  to  Hudson  R.,  42;  price 
of  No.  11  Broadway,  50;  cor. 
Wall  St.  and  Broadway,  53; 
above  Trinity,  68 

Lottery,  to  build  Sandy  Hook 
lighthouse,  63;  to  build  New 
Jail,  92;  in  City  Hall  Park,  124; 
for  King's  Coll.,  147 

Louden,  Lord,  opens  road  through 
the  Highlands,  407 

Louden,  Samuel,  prints  State  Con- 
stitution at  Fishkill,  419 

Louis  XIV.  desolates  the  Palatin- 
ate, 61 


Louis  Philippe  teaches  school  in 
Somerindyke  house,  295 

Love  Lane,  234 

Lovejoy's  restaurant,  186 

Lovelace,  Gov.,  establishes  post 
to  Boston,  21;  acquires  "Dom- 
inie's bouwerie, "  136;  establishes 
Harlem  ferry,  338 

Lowell,  James  Russell,  224;  lines 
on  Irving,  384 

Lower  party,  term  applied  to 
British  in  Neutral  Ground,  364; 
Andre's  reference  to,  376 

Loyalists,  62 

Ludlow,    Daniel,    offers    to  lease 

Bowling  Green,  24 
Ludlow,    Gabriel    V.,    house  on 

Broadway  above  Canal  St.,  176 
Ludlow,  Robert  Fulton,  maintains 

Fulton   museum  at  Claverack, 

443-  444 

Luycas,  Evert,  grant  in  Kinder- 
hook,  452 

Lydig,  Philip,  house  on  site  of 
Astor  House,  137 

Lyndehurst,  Gould  estate  at  Tarry- 
town,  370 

M 

McComb  mansion  occupied  by 
Pres't  Washington,  50 

McCullough,  John,  at  Star  T.,  210 

McDonald,  John  B.,  contractor 
for  subway,  280 

McDougal,  Gen.  Alexander,  im- 
prisoned for  sedition,  104;  107; 
has  Highland  command,  397 

McGill,  Sarah,  farm,  283 

McGowan's  Pass,  fortifications  at, 
124;  British  reinforcements  called 
from,  307 

McKenzie,  Alexander  Slidell,  resi- 
dent of  Mt.  Pleasant,  369 

McKesson,  John,  resident  on  Broad- 
way, 162 

McVickers,  John,  farm,  283 

Mabie,  Hamilton  W.,  resident  of 
N.  Tarrytown,  369 

Macmonmes,  Frederick,  sculptor 
of  Hale  statue,  119 

Macomb,  Gen.  Alexander,  home 
at  Kingsbridge,  347;  house  vis- 
ited by  Poe,  348;  house  be- 
comes Godwin  house,  348;  es- 
tablishes mills  and  dams,  348 


Index 


495 


Macomb  St.,  causeway,  345,  348 
Macready,  139;  riot,  196;  at  Broad- 
way T.,  213 
Madison  Cottage,  238,  240 
Madison  Sq.  park,  236,  237;  pot- 
ter's field,  238;  receives  name, 
238;  occupied  by  squatters,  238 
Magaw,  Gen.  Robert,  prisoner,  91; 

defence  of  Ft.  Washington,  326 
Maison  Doree,  restaurant,  222 
Mall,  the,  promenade  on  Broadwav, 
61,  63 

Manhattan  College,  308 
Manhattan  Co.,  10;  formed,  34 
Manhattan    Gaslight    Co.  lights 

streets,  37 
Manhattan  Indians,  343 
Manhattan    Island,    fort    on,  2; 

first  habitations  of  whites,  2; 

Minuits'  colony,  3;  Argall's  visit 

to,    8;    Dermer's    visit    to,  8; 

passage  from,  to  mainland,  337- 

339;  exempted  from  patroonships, 

459 

Manhattan  Life  Building,  weather 

bureau  on,  74 
Manhattan ville,  site  of,  308;  315 
Mann,  Alvah,  manager  Broadway 

T.,  213 

Mann,  Miss  Margaret,  boarding- 
house,  52 

Manning,  Capt.  John,  surrenders 
fort  to  Dutch,  86;  court-mar- 
tialled,  88 

Maps,  N.  Y.  in  1642,  5;  "Duke's 
plan,"  9;  first,  of  city,  10;  Mont- 
gomerie,  34;  of  the  Commons,  89 

Marble  Hill,  British  forts  on,  341 

Marble  houses,  177;  Scudder's 
and  City  Hall,  196 

Marckveldt  't,  Dutch  name  for 
Bowling  Green,  14;  steegie,  14 

Marketfield,  14 

Markets,  meat,  15,  38;  erection  of, 

38;  Oswego,  38-40;  Crown,  40; 

Broadway,  40 
Marquand,  Henry  G.,  Union  League 

Club  at  his  house,  229 
Marschalk  surveys  Broadway,  134 
Marshall,   Ethelbert  A.,  manager 

Broadway  T.,  213 
Martelaer's    (or    Martyr's)  reach 

and  island,  Constitution  I.,  410 
Marx,    Henry,    called  "Dandy," 

168,  169;  farm,  298 


Masonic  Hall,  erection,  162;  view 
of,  163;  becomes  Gothic  Hall,  164 

Masons,  Scottish  Rite,  acquire 
Madison  Ave.  Pres.  C,  291 

Massachusetts,  claims  land  to  Hud- 
son R.,  422;  disputes  with  Living- 
ston tenants,  441 

Matje  David's  Vly,  the  Hollow 
Way,  333 

Matteawan,  Indian  name  of  High- 
lands, 415 

May,  Dutch  trader,  2 

Megapolensis,  Dominie,  house  on 
the  Heere  Straat,  42 

"Merritt's  Folly,"  in  Tarrytown, 
371. 

Merwin,  Jesse,  original  of  Ichabod 

Crane,  451 
Mestayer,  Harry,  at  Niblo's,  205 
Metropolitan   Life  Building,  time 

light  on,  71 
Miantonomah,  Indian  chief,  437 
Middle  Road,  see  Broadway 
Milborne,    Jacob,    son-in-law  of 
Leisler,  17;  trial  and  execution, 
17,  18;  body  exhumed  and  re- 
buried,  18;  Parliament  removes 
attainder,    18;    execution,  90; 
upbraids  Livingston  from  scaf- 
fold, 438 
Milderberger,  Christian,  farm,  222 
Milestones,  at  Hawthorne  St.,  330; 
through    the    Highlands,  399, 
footnote,  399 
Minstrels,  193;  Congo  and  Negro, 
212;  Buckley's,  214;  San  Fran- 
cisco,  214,   250;   Wood's,  216; 
Wood  &  Christy's,  216;  Kelly 
&  Leon's,  218;  Haverly's,  250; 
Dockstader's,  250 
"Minto"   estate,  sketch   of,  178, 

Minuits,  Peter,  colony,  3 

Mitchell,  William,  comedian,  anec- 
dote of,  200,  201 

Modjeska,  Madam,  at  Star  T., 
210 

Mohawk  Indians,  battle  with  Mo- 
hicans, 433,  436;  war  with  Mo- 
hicans, 450;  near  Albany,  466 

Mohican  Indians,  villages,  343; 
location  and  removals,  436,  437; 
become  Stockbridge  Indians,  437; 
war  with  Mohawks,  450 

Monroe,  Prcs't  James,  funeral,  82 


496 


Index 


Montagnie  tavern,  hdqrs.,  Sons 
of  Liberty,  102,  104,  193;  United 
States  Garden,  193 

Montgomery,  Janet  Livingston,  72; 
life  at  Montgomery  Place,  434; 
passage  of  the  General's  body,  435 

Montgomery,  Gen.  Richard,  sketch 
of,  72;  funeral,  82;  farm  at  Kings- 
bridge,  353;  Life  of,  434;  removal 
of  body  to  New  York,  435;  guest 
at  Van  Schaack  house,  454 

Montressor,  Capt.,  informs  Amer- 
icans of  Hale's  execution,  120 

Montrose  Village,  394 

Monuments:  prison  martyrs,  61; 
Worth,  244-246,  459;  Dewey 
arch,  244;  Audubon,  314;  Ft. 
Washington,  328;  at  Yorktown, 
Westchester  Co.,  330;  on  Indian 
Field,  354,  437;  at  Dobbs  Ferry, 
362,  363;  Andre'  captors,  373, 
374;  Seth  Pomeroy,  396,  398; 
Paulding,  398;  Van  Buren,  451 

Moore  farm,  310 

Moore,  Gov.  Sir  Henry,  98;  fa- 
vorable to  provincials,  100 

Morgan,  William,  Freemason,  mys- 
tery of,  162 

Morningside  Heights,  305;  old 
fortifications,  307 

Morris,  George  P.,  155;  ode  to  the 
Highlands,  401;  estate  at  Under- 
cliff,  411 

Morris,  Gouverneur,  street  com- 
missioner, 174;  relations  with 
Louis  Philippe,  295 

Morris,  Col.  Roger,  companion  of 
Washington,  317;  marries  Mary 
Philipse,  318;  builds  mansion 
on  Harlem  R.,  318;  estates 
confiscated,  318;  acquires  part 
of  Highlands,  405 

Morris,  Roger  (or  Jumel),  house, 
Washington  hdqrs.,  306;  sketch 
of,  317;  picture,  318;  Knyphau- 
sen's  hdqrs.,  318;  occupied  by 
the  Jumels,  319,  321;  becomes 
"Earlcliff,"  321;  becomes  public 
museum,  321 

Morrisania,  new  Boston  road 
through,  350;  British  post,  364 

Morse,  S.  F.  B.,  estate  at  Pough- 
keepsie,  423 

Morton,  Levi  P.,  Ellerslie  estate, 
434 


Mosholu,  Indian  name  of  Tibbett's 
brook,  345;  village  of,  353 

Mott,  Dr.  Henry,  house  above 
Canal  St.,  176 

Mott,  Lucretia,  abolitionist,  183 

Mt.  Pleasant  township,  homes  of 
literary  people,  369 

Mumford,  Gordon  S.,  farm,  298 

Municipal  Building,  new,  on  Cen- 
tre St.,  114 

Munn,  Stephen  B.,  speculative 
builder,  176 

Munro,  Harry,  rector  at  St.  John's, 
Yonkers,  357 

Murray,  Gen.,  burned  in  effigy,  100 

Murray,  Hannah,  farm,  310 

Murray,  John,  farm,  62 

Muscoota,  Indian  name  of  Spuyten 
Duyvil  Creek,  334 

N 

Nagel,  Jan,  associated  with  Dyck- 
man,  330 

Nagel,  Jan,  2d,  builds  Century 
House,  341 

Nantes,  Edict  of,  revocation  of,  62 

Napoleon,  decrees  of,  injure  Hud- 
son's trade,  457 

Narragansett  Indians,  437 

Naval  Academy,  Perry's  battle- 
flag  at,  footnote,  60 

Naval  heroes,  arch  to,  244 

Navigation  laws,  violation  of,  359 

Negro  burial-ground,  108;  bodies 
exhumed  from,  for  hospital,  148; 
barracks  on  site  of,  1 52 

Negro  plot,  20,  21 

Nelsonville,  407 

Nepperhaem,  Indian  name  of  Van 

der  Donck's  grant,  346 
Nepperhan  River,  dams  on,  359 
Nesbit,   experiments   with  steam 

navigation,  444 
Neutral  Ground,  location,  363,  364; 

atrocities  perpetrated  in,  364 
New  Amsterdam,  8,  12;  becomes 

New  York,  16 
New  England  path,  452 
Newman,  Mark  H.,  &  Co.,  book- 
sellers, 75 
New  Netherland,  8;  surrendered  by 

Dutch,  16;  becomes  N.  Y.,  16 
New  Orange,  Dutch  name  of  N.  Y. 

City,  16 


Index 


497 


New  Rochelle,  British  post,  364 

New  Year's  Eve  celebration,  269 

New  York  City,  map,  5;  southwest 
view  of,  13;  receives  name,  16; 
retaken  by  Dutch,  16;  called 
New  Orange,  16;  British  evac- 
uate, 24,  363;  ceases  to  be  capital, 
25,  26;  becomes  owner  of  fort, 
27;  sells  property,  27;  British 
capture  of,  133;  College,  317; 
formation  of  greater  city,  350; 
the  Swamp,  431;  capital  of 
State  and  nation,  467 

New  York  Commercial  Building 
on  site  of  New  York  Hotel,  186 

New  York  State,  proclaimed,  416; 
Constitution  adopted,  419;  rati- 
fies Articles  of  Confederation, 
425;  ratifies  Federal  Constitu- 
tion, 427;  becomes  first  in  the 
Union,  467 

Niblo,  William,  opens  garden,  67; 
76;  manager,  202 

Nicholson,  Gov.,  deposed  by  citi- 
zens, 17 

Nicolls,  Col.  Richard,  treaty  with 
Dutch,  10;  changes  name  of 
province,  etc.,  16;  confirms  Har- 
lem grants,  309;  grant  to  Abra- 
ham Staats,  450;  grants  in 
Kinderhook,  452,  456 

"Nine  Partners'  Grant,"  in  Hyde 
Park,  431 

Nipnichsen,  Indian  village  on 
Spuyten  Duyvil  neck,  345 

Niverville,  in  Rensselaer  Co.,  459 

Nomenclature  of  hotels  and  the- 
atres, suggested  reform  in,  296 

Non-importation  agreement,  signed, 
21;  terms  of,  63,  64;  renewed,  64 

Non-intercourse  act  injures  Hud- 
son's trade,  457 

Norton,  L.,  farm,  242 

Norton,  Mary,  farm,  242 

O 

Oblong,   the,   territory  added  to 

New  York,  441 
O'Callaghan,  E.  B.,  State  archivist, 

4 

Ogden,  William,  farm,  242 
Oldboy,  Felix,  calls  Broadway  "an 

accidental    thoroughfare,"  175; 

quoted  about  canals,  332 


Old  Guard,  parades,  83;  armory  of, 
272;  history  of,  273 

Omnibuses,  142,  143;  first  appear- 
ance of,  145;  routes,  names,  and 
equipment,  145;  Fifth  Ave.,  146; 
last  on  Broadway,  231 

Onrest,  or  Restless,  vessel  built 
by  Block,  2 

Orange  riots,  286,  288 

Osborne,  Gov.  Sir  Danvers,  suicide 
of,  62 

Oscawanna,  394 

Ossining  township,  385;  Sint  Sinck 
Indians  at,  386;  bought  by 
Philipse,  386;  limestone  quar- 
ries at,  386;  State  prison  at,  386 

Oswego,  market,  38-40,  62;  Land- 
ing, 38 

Owens,  John  E.,  in  Solon  Shingle, 
207 

O'Sullivan,  John  L.,  organizes 
Broadway  surface  road,  228 

P 

Paff,  footnote,  56;  shop,  137 

Palatinate,  desolation  of,  61,  439 

Palatine  Bridge,  440 

Palatines,  build  church,  61 ;  flee  to 
England  and  America,  439;  settle 
on  Livingston  Manor,  439;  dis- 
tress of,  440;  their  dispersion, 
440;  at  Claverack,  450 

Palisade,  across  Manhattan  Is.,  9; 
gates  in,  9;  becomes  Wall  St.,  9; 
decay  and  repairs,  9;  demolition 
of,  10,  152;  new,  on  Chambers 
St.,  152 

Palmer,  Edmund,  executed  as  a 
spy.  399 

Palmer,  Frederick,  builds  Farmers' 

Bridge,  339 
Palmo,  F.,  cafe,  183;  opera  house, 

184 

Panic,  of  1837,  124,  125;  of  1857, 
126,  216 

Panton,  George,  rector  of  St. 
John's,  Yonkers,  357 

Paparinemo  (or  Papariniman),  In- 
dian name  of  wading  place,  339, 
344;  island  of,  349 

Parades:  Colve's,  16,  79;  Indian, 
19;  Hamilton,  24,  25,  79;  British 
evacuation,  24,  79;  Stuyvcsant's 
entry,    79-82;    Hudson  bi-cen- 


32 


498 


Index 


Parades, — (Continued) 

tenary,  82;  Lafayette  reception, 
82;  French  revolution  of  1830, 
82;  Croton  water,  82;  Kossuth, 
82 ;  Prince  of  Wales,  82 ;  Japanese 
embassy  ,82 ;  Franco- Prussian  war, 
82;  Washington  centenary,  82; 
Columbus,  82 ;  Fourth  of  July,  82 ; 
Evacuation  Day,  82;  departure 
of  troops,  83,  139,  142;  political, 
83;  Roosevelt,  83;  Old  Guard,  83; 
immigrants,  83;  return  of  troops, 
227;  change  of  route  of,  244; 
wheelmen's,  278;  dedication  of 
Grant's  tomb,  300;  ground  for, 
in  Van  Cortlandt  Park,  353 

Parise,  Augustus,  garden,  193 

Parker,  Foxhall,  house  on  Broad- 
way, 176 

Parker's  restaurant,  255 

Parsons,  William  Barclay,  subway 
engineer,  279 

Parthenon,  the,  194 

Patroonships  established  by  West 
India  Co.,  459 

Patti,  Adelina,  at  Tripler's  Hall,  207 

Paulding,  James  Kirke,  footnote, 
57;  155;  Placentia  estate,  430 

Paulding,  John,  captor  of  Andre, 
361,  373;  monument  to,  398 

Paulding  Manor,  in  Tarry  town,  371 

Paulding,  Philip  R.,  builder  of 
"Paulding's  Folly,"  371 

Pavements,  Brower  (Stone)  St., 
33;  Broadway,  33,  39,  134,  135, 
176,  276;  Bowling  Green,  33 

Pavonia,  Indian  massacre  at,  4 

Pawling's  Purchase,  first  name  of 
Hyde  Park,  431 

Payne,  John  Howard,  lies  in  state 
at  City  Hall,  117 

Peale,  Reuben,  American  Museum, 
194 

Peek,  Jan,  settles  at  Peekskill,  395; 
tapster  on  the  Heere  Straat,  395 

Peekskill,  "Boscobcl,"  home  of 
Beecher  at,  370;  Andr6  escort 
recalled  at,  378;  Indian  village 
of  Sackhoes,  395;  Jan  Peck 
settles,  395;  American  army  at, 
396;  burnt  by  Gov.  Tryon,  400; 
removed  to  present  site,  401 

Peekskill  Bay,  391,  395 

Pell,  Albert  S.,  house  on  Broadway, 
176 


Pell's    Manor    (Pelham),  British 

post,  364 
Pennington,  Capt.,  duel,  64 
Pennsylvania  Dutch,  origin  of,  440 
Pequod  Indians  receive  Mohicans, 

436 

Perry,  Commo.  Matthew  Calbraith, 
resident  of  Mt.  Pleasant,  369 

Perry,  Capt.  Oliver  Hazard,  battle- 
flag,  60;  reception  at  City  Hall, 
"5 

Petticoat  Lane,  English  name  for 
Beaver  St.,  14 

Pfaff,  "Charley,"  beer  cellar,  188; 
literary  visitors  to,  189 

Philadelphia  Almanack,  table  of 
distances,  344 

Philipsburgh,  or  Philipseborough, 
Manor  of,  formed,  339, 346;  Weck- 
quaesgeek  tract,  363 ;  Bissightick 
tract,  364;  Pocantico  tract,  372; 
Sing  Sing  tract,  386;  northern 
boundary  at  Croton  R.,  387 

Philipse,  Adolphus,  inherits  Upper 
Yonkers,  372;  his  Highland  es- 
tate divided,  405,  406 

Philipse,  Frederick,  first,  patent  for 
Manor  of  Philipsburgh,  339,  346; 
builds  King's  Bridge,  339;  objects 
to  Farmers'  Bridge,  339;  Pocant- 
ico, or  upper,  mills,  344, 380,  381 ; 
buys  Van  der  Donck  land,  346; 
called  the  "Dutch  millionaire," 
346;  interested  in  contraband 
trade,  346;  backs  Capt.  Kidd,  346, 
438;  returns  to  his  manor,  347; 
his  first  wife,  351;  sells  land  to 
Jacobus  Van  Cortlandt,  351;  a 
member  of  Ref.  Dutch  Church, 
355 ;  builds  lower  mills  at  Yonkers, 
357 ;  Philipse  Castle,  38 1 ,  382 ;  tab- 
let on  Sleepy  Hollow  Church,  382 ; 
buys  Sing  Sing  tract,  386 

Philipse,  Frederick,  second  manor 
lord,  347;  founds  St.  John's 
Church,  355,  356;  builds  manor- 
house,  357;  inherits  Upper  Yon- 
kers, 372 

Philipse,  Col.  Frederick,  third, 
leases  Bowling  Green,  19:  manor 
lord,  346;  estates  confiscated, 
347;  gives  to  St.  John's  Church, 
356;  estates  sold  by  State,  359; 
history  of  property,  359;  in- 
herits part  of  Highlands,  405 


Index 


499 


Philipse  Manor-house,  city  hall  at 
Yonkers,  357;  view  of,  358; 
becomes  property  of  C.  P.  Low, 
359;  subsequent  history,  359 

Philipstown,  405 

Phillips,  Wendell,  abolitionist,  183 
Pieters,  Jochim,  receives  grant  from 

Kieft,  309;  hills,  319 
Pigeon  shooting,  295 
Pinteaux,  Monsieur,  cafe\  183 
Pirates,    43;     favored    by  Gov. 

Fletcher,  346,  438 
Pitt,  William,  statue  of,  22 
Pocantico    brook,    Indian  village 

on,  372;  location,  380 
Poe,  Edgar  Allan,  Mystery  of  Marie 
R°getr  150.  155;  anecdote  of  his 
writing  Eureka,  169;  resident 
at  Bloomingdale,  294;  visitor 
at  Macomb  house,  348 
Poelnitz,  "Baron,"  acquires  "Min- 

to"  estate,  178 
Pomeroy,   Gen.   Seth,  monument 
to,  396,  398;  his  Highland  com- 
mand, 397,  398 
Ponisi,  Madam,  at  Wallack's  T.,  210 
Poppleton,     Mrs.,  confectionery 
shop, 76 

Post,  to  Boston,  21;  to  Albany,  21 
Post,  Dr.,  erects  Claremont,  298 
Post,  Peter,  patriot  guide,  361 
Post-office,  21;  at  Dr.  Tillary's,  78; 

Federal,  118;  in  Rotunda,  129 
Potters'    fields,    109;    bodies  ex- 
humed from,  for  hospital,  148; 
in  Union  Sq.,  220;  in  Madison 
Sq.,  238 

Poughkeepsie,  415,  422;  College 
Hill,  423;  first  patent,  423;  origin 
of  name,  424;  first  settlers,  425; 
civic  history,  425;  Federal  Con- 
stitution adopted  at,  427;  ship- 
building at,  427;  visited  by 
Lafayette,  428;  Vassar  College, 
426-428;  bridge,  428,  429;  inter- 
collegiate rowing  at,  428;  445 
Powder  house  on  Commons,  90 
Price,  Stephen,  manager  Park  T., 
166 

Printing-press,  first,  in  New  York, 
74 

Prison,  State,  at  Sing  Sing,  386; 

new  site  for,  387 
Privateers,   colonial,   42;   War  of 

1812,  122 


Processions,    See  Parades 

Province  Arms  tavern,  opened,  62; 
dinner  to  Gov.  Hardy,  62;  open- 
ing of  King's  Coll.,  63;  becomes 
Burns's  Coffee  House  (or  City 
Arms),  63;  other  owners,  64; 
becomes  State  Arms,  66;  Wash- 
ington entertained  at,  66;  City 
Hotel  on  site  of,  66 

Province  House,  20 

Provincial  Assembly,  act  concern- 
ing Kingsbridge  road,  297;  act 
concerning  Albany  Post-road,  344 

Provoost,  Widow,  house  on  Great 
George  St.,  152 

Provost  prison,  view  of,  91;  site 
of,  92-94;  remodelled,  94;  used 
as  hospital,  95;  public  offices,  95; 
British  soldiers  attack,  97;  Mc- 
Dougal  a  prisoner  in,  104;  re- 
ference, 119 

Publishers  and  booksellers,  74,  75 

Putnam,  George  P.,  Irving's  pub- 
lisher, 53;  location,  75;  collector 
of  internal  revenue,  128;  issues 
Fable  for  Critics,  157;  establishes 
Putnam's  Monthly,  158;  pub- 
lishes Poe's  Eureka,  169;  store 
threatened  by  fire,  207 

Putnam,  Gen.  Israel,  hdqrs.,  44; 
120;  evacuates  city,  133;  joins 
Washington,  264,  288;  commands 
the  Highlands,  397;  executes 
Palmer,  399 

Putnam,  Major  'Rufus,  engineer, 
326 

Putnam  County,  Historical  So- 
ciety preserves  mile  stones,  foot- 
note, 399;  Continental  Village  in, 
400;  formation  of,  405;  taken 
from  Dutchess  Co.,  414 

Q 

Quakers  associate  in  founding 
Hudson,  456 

Quarantine  at  Staten  Is.,  78 

Queen  Anne,  grants  farm  to  Trinity, 
59;  farm,  136;  grant  to  Beekman, 
431;  assists  Palatines,  439 

Queen's  Head  tavern,  63 

R 

Rachel,  139;  at  Tripler's  Hall,  207 


500 


Index 


Rahl,  Col.,  hdqrs.  at  Blue  Bell 
tavern,  332 

Railroads:  N.  Y.  &  N.  H.  station, 
174;  Broadway  surface,  228-234; 
changes  in  motive  power,  233, 
234;  Pennsylvania  station,  255; 
elevated,  278;  subway,  279,  280; 
Beach  pneumatic,  279;  N.  Y. 
Central,  change  of  course  at 
ship  canal,  334;  339;  Putnam 
station  at  Kingsbridge,  349; 
change  at  Kingsbridge,  350;  Hud- 
son River,  built,  359;  Pough- 
keepsie  &  Eastern,  428;  Boston 
&  Albany,  footnote,  454 

Randall,  John,  Jr.,  street  com- 
mission's surveyor,  174 

Randall,  Robert  R.,  acquires 
"Minto"  estate,  178;  establishes 
Sailor's  Snug  Harbor,  178,  179 

Ranelagh  Garden,  on  Rutgers  farm, 
194 

Rapid  Transit,  Board,  279;  Com- 
mission, 279 

Raymond,  John  T.,  in  The  Gilded 
Age,  235 

Reaches,  river,  Martelaer's,  410; 

Clover,  448 
Red  Hook,  430;  settlers  in,  432; 

origin  of  name,  433 
Red   Hook,    Upper,   430;  Indian 

battle-field  at,  433 
Reed,   Adjutant-Gen.,   meets  flag 

of  truce,  121 
Regiment,    Seventh,    draft  riots, 

128;  departs  for  Civil  War,  141, 

142;    Astor    Place   Riot,  196; 

459 

Regiment,  Ninth,  members  killed 

in  Orange  Riot,  288 
Regiment,  Twenty-second,  marches 

to    new  armory,  276;  armory, 

276;  sketch  of,  277 
Regiment,  Seventy-first,  armory  of, 

255.  268 

Regiment,  Seventy-ninth,  Gov. 
Fenton  reviews,  227 

Rehan,  Ada.  at  Daly's  T.,  251 

Rensselaer  (formerly  Grcenbush), 
owned  by  De  Laet,  461;  first 
settlers  in,  461;  conveyed  to 
Johannes  Van  Rensselaer,  461 

Rensselaer  County,  formed  from 
Albany  Co.,  436;  fine  farms  in, 
446;  post-road  through,  459 


Rensselaer  Manor  (or  Rensselaers- 
wyck),  anti-rent  wars  on,  442; 
Lower  Manor  of,  450;  452,  459; 
patent  for,  461;  first  settlers  on, 
466;  Beverwyck  charter  affects, 
466 

Renwick,    Jane,    Burns's  "Blue- 
Eyed  Lassie, "  53 
Renwick,       Professor,  member 
"  Bread  and  Cheese  "  Club,  53, 154 
Reservoir  on  Broadway,  36,  166 
Rhinebeck,  430;  origin  of  name, 
431;    first    purchase    of,  432; 
Dutch  settlers  in,  432;  precinct, 
432;  437-  454 
"Rialto, "  the,  for  actors,  256 
Rickett's  Amphitheatre,  166 
Rignold,  George,  at   Booth's  T., 
205 

Riker,  James,  quoted,  336 
Riots:  Bread,  125,  126;  Draft,  126, 
127;  draft  stopped,  128;  Doctors', 
148,  149;  Orange,  286-288; 
Colored  Orphan  Asylum  burned, 
312;  on  Livingston  Manor,  440, 
441;  anti-rent,  441 
Riverdale,  Indian  hiding-places  in, 
353 

Riverside  Drive,  276,  298 

Rivington,  printer,  74 

Road-houses:  Buck's  Horn,  233, 
234;  Madison  Cottage,  238,  240; 
on  Bloomingdale  road,  295;  in 
Audubon  Park,  315;  on  Kings- 
bridge  road,  331 

Roa  Hook,  State  camp  at,  393, 
397;  site  of  Ft.  Independence, 
397 

Robinson,  Col.  Beverly,  acquires 
part  of  Highlands,  405;  erects 
mill,  407;  house  used  by  American 
commanders,  408 

Robson  and  Crane  at  Star  T.,  21 1 

Rochambeau,  Comte  de,  at  Van 
Cortlandt  mansion,  353;  at 
Dobbs  Ferry,  362,  363;  at  Van 
Cortlandt  manor-house,  391; 
comment  on  American  army,  394 

Rockwell,  Charles,  at  Wallack's 
T.,  210 

Rockwood,  George  G.,  at  closing 
of  Wallack's  T.,  21 1 

Roclof  Jansen's  kill,  414;  Living- 
ston buys  land  on,  438;  439; 
squatters  on,  442;  location  of,  445 


Index 


50i 


Rogers,  Ann,  farm,  298 
Rogers,  John,  leases  Bowling  Green, 
27 

Rogers,  John,  first  settler  in  High- 
lands, 407 

Rogers,  Major,  attempt  to  release 
from  New  Jail,  97 

Rogers,  Mary,  mysterious  death  of, 
150 

Rogers,  Nathan,  hanged  in  effigy, 
105 

Rokeby  estate,  sketch  of,  433 
Rombout,  Francois,  well,  36;  house 

of,  51;  grant  in  Dutchess  Co., 

414 

Roosa,     patentee    of  Kipsburgh 

Manor,  432 
Roosevelt,    John,    leases  Bowling 

Green,  19 
Roosevelt,  Theodore,  reception  to, 

83;   at   Sleepy   Hollow  Church 

bi-centenary,  384 
Root,    Elihu,    counsel    for  Jacob 

Sharp,  232 
Ropewalk,  on  line  of  Great  George 

St.,  34 

Rotunda,  the,  picture  of,  127; 
erection  of,  129;  various  uses  of, 
129 

Rowing,  intercollegiate,  at  Pough- 

keepsie,  428 
Rudde,  William,  bookseller,  75 
Ruggles,     Samuel    B.,  improves 

Union  Sq.  and  Gramercy  Park, 

221 

Russell,  Lillian,  at  Tony  Pastor's, 
216 

Rutgers,  Anthony,  grantee  of  land 
near  Canal  St.,  171;  house  be- 
comes Ranelagh  Garden,  194 

Rutgers,  Col.  Henry,  chairman  of 
meetings,  121,  122;  gives  lot 
to  Presbyterian  Church,  290 

Rutgers,  Widow,  farm,  134;  farm, 
site  of  N.  Y.  Hospital,  148 

Rutherford,  John,  street  com- 
missioner, 174 

Ryckman,  Mrs.,  boarding-house 
keeper,  53 

S 

Sackhoes,  Indian  village,  395 
Sage,  Mrs.  Russell,  purchases  Con- 
stitution Island,  411 


Sailors'  Snug  Harbor,  178,  179 
Salmagundi,    "The    Stranger  at 

Home,  or  a  Tour  of  Broadway," 

54-57;  authors  of,  footnote,  57; 

155.  156,  430 
Saltus,  Col.  "Nick,"  forms  Union 

Club,  67 
Samler  farm,  242 

Sands'    Mills    (Armonk),  Andre 

taken  to,  397 
Sandy  Hook,  lottery  for  lighthouse 

on,  63 

Sawmill  River,  origin  of  name,  359 
Saxe,  John  Godfrey,  quoted,  28,  199 
Scarborough,  village  of,  385 
Schenectady,    meaning   of  name, 

463 ;  fur  trade  at,  466 
Schodac,    of   Indian   origin,  436; 

post-road  through,  459 
School,  Normal,  established,  178 
Schreyer's  Hoek,  see  Battery 
Schuyler,    Alida,    marries  Robert 

Livingston,  437 
Schuyler,  Peter,  grant  from  Dongan, 

423;  Magdalen  Island  purchase, 

432;  grant  in  Kinderhook,  452 
Schuyler,  Gen.  Philip,  435;  guest 

at  Van  Schaack  house,  454 
Scott,  Gen.  Winfield,  reception  at 

City  Hall,  116 
Scott-Siddons,  Airs.,  debut  at  N.  Y. 

Theatre,  217 
Scudder,  John,  his  American  Mu- 
seum, 96,  196 
Sears,   Isaac,  called  "King,"  44; 

occupies    Kennedy    house,  44; 

injured,  101 ;  sent  to  New  Jail, 

107 

Settlers,  Dutch,  5,  383,  415,  425, 
432,  446,  452,  462,  466;  English,  8, 
415;  German,  415,  431,  432,  446; 
Huguenot,  415,  432,  446;  Pala- 
tine, 439,  450 

Seward,  William  H.,  statue  of,  237 

Seymour,  Gov.  Horatio,  addresses 
rioters,  128 

Seymour,  Nelse,  negro  minstrel, 
217,  218 

Shackbury,  Dr.,  composes  "Yan- 
kee Doodle, "  461 

Sharp,  Jacob,  35;  organizes  Broad- 
way surface  railway,  228;  im- 
prisoned, 232 

Sharpless,  James,  English  painter, 
76 


502 


Index 


Sheldon,  Col.,  ambushes  Hessians, 

361;  his  dragoons,  377;  Andre 

taken  to  his  quarters,  378 
Shepard,    Elliott    F.,    estate  at 

Scarborough,  385 
Shepherd  &  Johnson,  stage  route 

to  Chelsea,  146 
Sherman  Square,  292 
Shoemakers'  Land,  77 
Shorrack-kappock,    Indian  name 

of  Kingsbridge,  345 
Sidewalks,  called  strookes,  33;  first, 

134;  on  Broadway,  162,  176 
Simcoe,  Lt.-Col.  John  G.,  defeats 

Stockbridge  Indians,  353 ;  attempt 

to  capture  Col.  Gist,  357 
Sing  Sing,  370;  origin  of  name,  386; 

State  prison  at,  386 
Singer  Building,  view  of,  69 
Sint  Sinck  Indians,  343;  at  Ossining, 

386 

Six  Nations,  460 

Skating  rink,  Cosmopolitan,  261; 

Metropolitan,  272 
Skinners,  American  irregulars,  364 
Slack,  Sarah,  farm,  266 
Sleepy  Hollow,  church,  382;  picture, 

383 

Sleighs  on  Broadway,  frontispiece; 
146 

Sloughter,  Gov.,  arrives  in  N.  Y., 
17;  orders  trial  of  Leisler,  17; 
character   of,    17;    signs  death 
warrant  of  Leisler  and  Milborne, 
18;  death  of,  18;  quoted  as  to 
importance  of  Albany,  466 
Sluyter  visits  Claverack,  450 
Small-pox,  inoculation  for,  400 
Smedes,  Abraham  K.,  farm,  310 
Smith,  Gerrit,  abolitionist,  183 
Smith,  John,  farm,  222 
Smith,  Joshua  Hett,  Andr<5-Arnold 
interview  at  his  house,  385;  with 
Andre,  crosses  King's  Ferry,  393; 
arrested   at   Fishkill,   417;  his 
trial,  418 
Smith,  Jotham,  shop,  137,  157 
Smith,  Melancthon,  opposes  adop- 
tion of  Federal  Constitution,  426 
Snyder's  brewery,  164 
Somerindyke,  Richard,  farm,  283; 
view  of  house,  284;  Louis  Philippe 
at  his  house,  295 
Sons  of  Liberty,  make  demonstra- 
tion, 21;  hdqrs.,  63,  93,  104; 


place  of  resort,  77 ;  origin  of  name, 
97;  act  against  press  gang,  98; 
against  Stamp  Act,  98,  99;  cele- 
brate arrival  of  Gov.  Moore,  100; 
erect  liberty-poles,  101 ;  attacked 
by  British  soldiers,  101,  102 

Sons  of  the  Revolution,  custodians 
of  Fraunce's  tavern,  63;  erect 
tablet  at  Trinity  Cemetery,  314; 
erect  Pomeroy  monument  at 
Cortlandtville,  399 

Sontag,  Henrietta,  at  Tripler's 
Hall,  207 

Sothern,  Edwin,  213,  217 

South  Schodac,  on  post-road,  459 

South  worth,  Mrs.  E.  D.  E.  N., 
resident  of  Yonkers,  368 

Sparta  village,  385;  Vulture  fires 
at  tombstones,  385;  birthplace 
of  Admiral  John  L.  Worden,  385; 
copper  mine  at,  386 

Spingler,  Henry,  farm  on  site  of 
Union  Sq.,  222 

Spingler  Institute,  222 

Spring  Garden,  104;  house,  134 

Spuyten  Duyvil  Creek,  Indian  name 
of,  334;  origin  of  name,  334,  335; 
story  of  Anthony  the  Trumpeter, 
336,  337;  mill  and  dams  on,  348 

Spuyten  Duyvil  neck,  345;  forti- 
fications on, 350 

Squatters,  Dutch,  6;  in  parks,  220, 
238;  near  Bloomingdale  road, 
277,  278;  on  Roelof  Jansen's  kill, 
442 

Staats,  Major  Abraham,  first  grant 
in  Claverack,  431;  house  burned 
by  Indians,  450;  452 

Staats,  Dr.  Samuel,  at  Staatsburg, 
43i;  432 

Staatsburg,  430;  origin  of  name,  431 
Stage  routes,   144;  to  Greenwich 

village,  145;  to  Chelsea,  146 
Stamp  Act,  passed,  21,  97;  repeal 

of,  22,  100;  meeting  at  Burns's 

Coffee  House,  63;  Congress,  98 
Stanford  &  Swords,  booksellers,  75 
State  Arms  tavern,  66 
State   camp   at  Roa  Hook,  393, 

397 

Staten  Island,  quarantine  station 
at,  78;  Sailors'  Snug  Harbor  on, 
179 

States-General,  grants  licences  to 
trade,  3;  correspondence  with,  4 


Index 


503 


Statues:  De  Peyster,  18;  George 
III.,  22,  23;  Pitt,  22;  on  custom- 
house, 30;  Washington,  223; 
Lafayette,  224;  Lincoln,  224; 
Seward,  237;  Farragut,  246; 
Greeley,  254;  Dodge,  254;  Colum- 
bus, 274;  Verdi,  292 

"Steamship  Row,"  on  site  of  fort, 
28,  29 

Stedman,  Edmund  Clarence,  156; 
at  Pfaff's,  189 

Steel,  tavern-keeper,  45 

Steuben,  Baron,  injured  in  Doctor's 
Riot,  149;  at  Van  Cortlandt 
manor-house,  391;  drill-master 
of  American  army,  394;  Order 
of  the  Cincinnati  formed  at  his 
hdqrs.,  420 

Stevens  family,  48 

Stewart,  Alexander  T.,  shop,  157; 
establishes  business,  159;  re- 
movals, 160;  body  of,  stolen,  160; 
uptown  store,  181;  188;  owner 
of  Niblo's,  204;  owner  of  the 
Athenaeum,  217 

Stewart,  James,  farm,  242 

Stilwell,  Senator,  bill  to  use  City 
Hall  park  for  new  court-house, 

Stockbridge  Indians,  defeat  of,  353; 

originally  Mohicans,  437;  their 

history,  437 
Stoddard,    Richard    Henry,  156; 

footnote,  157 
Stone  bridge,  view  of,  173;  origin 

of,  174 

Stone,  William  Leete,  journalist,  156 
Stoutenburgh,  Jacobus,  settler  at 

Staatsburg,  431 
Streets:  Tuyn,  Garden,  or  Exchange 
Place,  2;  irregularity  of,  6;  Heere 
Slraat,  6;  Great  Queen  (or  Pearl), 
6;  Bridge,  8,  15;  Beaver,  8,  15; 
Wall,  9;  first  map  of,  10;  White- 
hall, 14;  State,  14;  Marketfield,  14; 
Petticoat  Lane,  14;  Morris,  15; 
Great  George,  31,  34,  36,  84; 
Brower  (Stone),  33;  cleaning  of, 
40;  William,  dry-goods  section, 
41;  Rector,  51,  52,  60,  61; 
Vesey,  52,  136;  Pine,  61;  Maiden 
Lane  regulated,  77;  Thomas,  134, 
148;  Fair  (Division  or  Fulton), 
136;  Barclay,  137;  Murray,  137; 
Chambers,  137 — palisade  in,  152; 


Chambers,  opened,  152;  Warren, 
137;  Robinson  (Park  Place),  137; 
Duggan  (now  Canal),  173;  Canal, 
regulation  of,  173;  commission 
to  lay  out,  174;  plan  of,  i74;Astor 
Place  (Sand  Hill  road),  178; 
Lafayette  Place  established,  196; 
Western  Boulevard  opened,  274; 
Harsen's  lane,  288;  footnote, 
290;  Harlem  lane,  297;  St. 
Nicholas  Ave.,  297;  Manhattan, 
3°5>  333;  Hamilton  Place,  308; 
Macomb,  345,  348;  Beekman,  431 

Striker  farm,  266 

Stringer  &  Townsend,  booksellers, 
75 

Strong,  Mayor  Wm.  L.,  approves 

subway  plans,  279 
Stryker,  James,  farm,  298 
Stuyvesant,  Balthasar,  farm,  10 
Stuyvesant,  Nicholas,  farm,  10 
Stuyvesant,    Gov.    Peter,  resents 
English  encroachments,  8,  9,  422; 
builds  Whitehall,   14;  marshals 
army   on   Bowling    Green,  15; 
surrenders  New  Amsterdam,  16; 
grant  to  Ide,  298;  grant  to  De 
Kay,  305;  grants  to  Harlem,  309; 
thwarts  Van  der   Donck,  346; 
366,    431;    declares  Claverack 
purchase    void,    448;  compels 
Van  Rensselaer   to   divide  his 
domain,   460;  gives  charter  to 
Beverwyck,  466 
Stuyvesant  Falls,  456,  458 
St.  Andrew's  Society,  64 
St.  George's  Cricket  Club,  248 
St.  John's  Park,  20 
St.  Luke's  Hospital,  302 
St.  Paul  Building,  on  site  of  Bar- 

num's  Museum,  199 
St.  John,  Charles,  hatter,  68 
St.  John  &  Toucey,  tailors,  53 
Subway,   279;   contracts  for,  let, 
280;  sections  under  Broadway, 
280;  openings  of,  280;  281;  via- 
duct at  Manhattan  St.,  307;  depth 
of,  at  Washington  Heights,  315; 
across  Harlem  ship  canal,  334; 
at  Van  Cortlandt  Park,  349,  355 
Sullivan,    General,    punitive  ex- 
pedition against  Iroquois,  390 
Sumner,  Charles,  attacked  by  Pres- 
ton Brooks,  183;  guest  at  Van 
Schaack  house,  454 


504 


Index 


Sunnyside,  home  of  Irving,  364; 

how  built,  366;  sketch  of,  366 
Swedes,  Dutch  expedition  against, 

79 

Swords,  T.  &  J.,  booksellers,  74 

T 

Tablets:  Washington  Building,  2; 
City  Hotel,  68;  Montgomery,  at 
St.  Paul's,  72;  City  Hall,  108; 
subway,  118;  at  Times  Sq.,  266; 
Knowlton  and  Leitch,  304,  305; 
at  Trinity  Cemetery,  314;  on 
Morris  house,  323;  at  Tarry  town 
station,  372;  to  Irving,  on  Christ 
Church,  372;  on  Sleepy  Hollow 
church,  382;  on  Van  Cortlandt 
house,  Cortlandtville,  398 
Talleyrand,  44;  is  entertained  by 

Jumels,  319 
Tallmadge,  Maj.  Benj.,  custodian 

of  Andre,  377,  378 
Tallman,  John  H.,  farm,  282 
Tammany  Hall,  153,  212 
Tanners,  ordinance  against,  77 
Tappan,  execution  of  Andre  at,  380 
Tarleton,  Col.  Banastre,  48;  de- 
feats Stockbridge  Indians,  353 
Tarry  town,   fine  estates  in,  370; 
origin  of  the  name,  371;  Irving's 
solution,  372;  Revolutionary  con- 
flicts, 371,  372;  tablet  at  station, 
372;  St.  Joseph's  Normal  School, 
372;  other  schools,  372;  tablet 
to  Irving,  372 
Tattersall's,  horse  exchange,  2CO 
Taverns:  Kocks's  and  Krigier's,  42; 
King's  Arms,  45;  John  Corbett's, 
52;  Province  Arms,  62;  Horse  and 
Cart,    62;    King's    Head,  63; 
City  Arms,  63;  Queen's  Head 
(Fraunce's),  63;  State  Arms,  66; 
Drovers'  Inn,  137;  Bull's  Head, 
137;  Stone  Bridge,  174;  Buck's 
Horn,  233,  234;  Madison  Cot- 
tage, 238,  240;  Half-way  House, 
273;   Crossed   Keys,   322,  323; 
Blue  Bell,  331-333;  Dyckman's, 
340;  Hyatt's,  340;  Century  House, 
340;  Kingsbridgc,  342;  Cock's, 
at    Kingsbridge,    348;  Duscn- 
berry's,  at  Cortlandtville,  399, 
400;  Rogers's,  in  the  Highlands, 
407;  described  by  De  Chastellux, 


418;  Blue  Store,  446,  447;  Kel- 

logg's,  in  Hudson,  447 
Taylor,  Bayard,  156;  at  Pfaff's,  189 
Taylor,  James,  farm,  242 
Tavlor,  Wm.,  D.  D.,  at  Tabernacle, 

255 

Taylor,  Pres't  Zachary,  funeral,  82 

Taylor's  restaurant,  184 

Tea  landed  in  N.  Y.,  106 

Tea  parties  given  by  aldermen,  117 

Tea-water  pump,  36 

Teachers  College,  302 

Teller  house,  occupied  by  Brett,  419 

Teller's,  or  Sarah's,  Point,  Vulture 
anchors  off,  392 

Temple,  Charlotte,  grave  in  Trinity 
churchyard,  61 

Ten  Broeck,  Dirck  Wessel,  settles 
in  Claverack,  442 

"Tenderloin,"  the,  211,  248 

Tetard's  Hill,  American  fortifi- 
cations on, 350 

Thacher,  Dr.,  inoculation  for  small- 
pox, 399,  400 

Thackeray,  Wm.  M.,  156 

Theatres:  Bowery,  on  site  of 
Bull's  Head  tavern,  137;  Niblo's 
Garden,  67,  192 — hist,  of,  202- 
204 — The  Black  Crook  at,  204 — 
later  hist,  of,  205,  206;  Broadway, 
benefit  for  Kipp  &  Brown,  145 — 
burnt,  202 — new  T.  (formerly 
Apollo  Saloon),  212;  Gothic  Hall, 
164;  Apollo  Rooms,  pict.  of,  165; 
Rickett 's  Amphit  heatre,  1 66 ;  Con- 
cert Hall,  167;  Enterprise  Hall, 
1 67;  Apollo  Gallery,  167;  Palmo's 
Opera  House,  becomes  Burton's 
T.,  183;  Park,  location  of,  192— 
company  at  Mt.  Vernon  Garden, 
194 — company  at  Olympic  T., 
199;  American  Museum,  Peale's, 
194 — becomes  Barnum's,  194 — 
erection  of,  196 — view  of,  burning, 
197 — anecdotes  of,  197,  198 — re- 
opens at  Spring  St.,  211 — burnt, 
211;  Opera  House  (on  site  of 
Mercantile  Library),  Macready 
riot,  196;  New  York  Museum, 
196;  Olympic,  at  Nos.  442-448 
Broadway,  199,  200 — Mitchell 
as  manager,  200 — other  managers, 
202;  Tripler's  Hall,  hist,  of,  206, 
207 — changes  of  name,  207; 
Winter  Garden,  207;  Lyceum, 


Index 


505 


Theatres, — {Continued) 

under  Brougham,  208 — under 
Wallack,  208;  Wallack's,  at  13th 
St.,  208,  209 — hist,  of,  210 — 
moves  uptown,  251 ;  Star,  210 — 
final  performance,  211;  Chinese 
Rooms,  become  Barnum's,  211 — 
burned,  211;  Old  Broadway, 
picture  of,  212 — history  of,  213; 
Laura  Keene's  Varieties,  213, 
214 — becomes  Olympic,  214; 
Olympic  (formerly  Laura 
Keene's),  Humpty  Dumpty  at, 
214;  Buckley's  Minstrel  Hall, 
bad  luck  of,  214;  San  Francisco 
minstrels,  214 — move  uptown, 
250;  Metropolitan,  under  Tony 
Pastor,  215;  New  Theatre  Com- 
ique,  215 — under  Harrigan  and 
Hart,  2 1 7 — their  popularity, 2 1 8 — 
becomes  Old  London  Street,  218; 
Wood's  Minstrel  Hall  and  T., 
Harrigan  and  Hart  at,  216; 
Wood's  Marble  Hall,  minstrels, 
216;  Athenaeum,  later,  Lucy 
Rushton's  and  Worrell  Sisters' 
N.  Y.  Theatre,  217 — becomes 
Daly's,  2 1 7 — becomes  Globe,  217; 
Kelly  &  Leon's  Minstrel  Hall, 
218;  Lina  Edward's,  218;  Hope 
Chapel,  2 18;  Broadway  Academy 
of  Music,  218;  Blitz's  New  Hall, 
218;  minor  places  on  Broadway, 
219;  Abbey's  Park,  234 — burned, 
236,  259;  Franconi's  Hippo- 
drome, on  site  of  Madison 
Cottage,  238,  239;  theatres  be- 
tween 23d  and  34th  streets, 
251,  252;  theatres  between  34th 
and  42d  streets,  259-261; 
theatres  above  42d  St.,  268,  270, 
272,  274;  prices  of  seats  in,  208, 
269 

Theatrical  trust,  252,  268,  269 

Thompson,  Corporal,  opens  Madi- 
son Cottage,  238 

Thorne,  Colonel,  acquires  Ap- 
thorpe  property,  286 

Tibbett's  brook,  345;  origin  of 
name,  349;  Van  Cortlandt  buys 
land  on,  351 

Tilden,  Samuel  J.,  estate  at  Grey- 
stone,  360;  presides  at  Andre" 
capture  centenary,  375;  born  in 
Columbia  Co.,  450 


Tillary,  Dr.  James,  post-office  at 

house  of,  78 
Time  ball,  for  mariners,  70 
Times,  the,  building,  262-264 
Tollemache,  Capt.,  fights  duel,  64 
Toll-gates,  345,  360,  445,  457 
Tontine  Association,   erects  City 

Hotel,  66 
Tories,  or  loyalists,  lose  property, 

282,  347;  outrages  by,  283;  De 

Lanceys  as,  283,  284 
Townships  formed,  349,  425 
Trails,  Indian,  Kingsbridge  road, 

310;  development  of,  into  roads, 

343,  344;  through  the  Highlands, 

407;  through  Livingston's  Manor, 

440 

Trees,  33,  61,  176,  280;  on  Albany 

Post-road,  430 
Tribune,  the,  attacked  by  rioters, 

128 

Trinity  Church  Corporation,  erects 
monument,  61;  erects  St.  Paul's 
Chapel,  71 

Troops,  departure  of,  139-142 

Trumbull,  John,  76 

Tryon,  Governor,  20;  visits  Van 
Cortlandt  Manor,  390;  destroys 
Peekskill  and  Cortlandtville,  400 

Tulip  tree  in  Union  Sq.,  179,  220 

Twain,  Mark,  235 

Tweed,  Wm.  M.,  threatens  Grace 
Church,  180;  as  alderman,  229 

Tweed  Ring,  builds  county  court- 
house, 129:229;  opens  Boulevard, 
275;  buys  trees  for  Boulevard, 
280 

Twins,  Siamese,  exhibition  of,  219 
U 

Ulster  County,  412,  436 
Uncas,  Mohican  chief,  436,  437 
Undercliff,  estate  of  Geo.  P.  Morris, 

4ii.  413 

Union  Club,  formation  of,  67 
Union  Dime  Savings  Bank,  omnibus 
terminus  at,  147;  increment  of 
land  value,  252 
Union  Square,  lighted,  38;  called 
Union  Place,  220;  public  meet- 
ing place,  220;  potter's  field, 
220;  regulated,  221;  fashionable 
section,  222;  picture  of,  225; 
bomb  throwing  in,  226 


506 


Index 


United  Netherlands  Company,  for- 
mation, 2;  charter  expires,  3 

Untermeyer,  Samuel,  estate  of 
Greystone,  360;  phenomenal  law- 
yer's fee,  360 

Upper  party,  Americans  in  Neutral 
Ground,  364 

Usselinx,  Willem,  his  reasons  for 
colony  in  New  Netherland,  3 

V 

Valatie,  on  Albany  Post-road,  459 

Valentine's  Hill,  British  post,  364 

Van  Alen,  Katrina,  original  of 
Katrina  Van  Tassel,  452,  454 

Van  Amburgh's  Menagerie  with 
Barnum,  211 

Van  Buren,  Pres't  Martin,  monu- 
ment at  Kinderhook,  451;  his 
home  at  Kinderhook,  452;  enter- 
tains Irving,  452 

Van  Corlaer,  Anthony,  Indian  agent 
for  Van  Rensselaer,  460 

Van  Cortlandt  family,  48;  owners 
of  property  below  Canal  St.,  166 

Van  Cortlandt,  Catherine,  erects 
Sleepy  Hollow  church,  382 

Van  Cortlandt,  Frederick,  builds 
mansion  in  Van  C.  Park,  352 

Van  Cortlandt,  Frederick,  city  clerk 
of  N.  Y.,  352;  owner  of  "Upper 
Van  Cortlandt's, "  352;  house 
used  by  British,  353;  hides  city 
records,  354 

Van  Cortlandt,  Jacobus,  marries 
Eva  Philipse,  351;  erects  house 
and  mills  in  Van  C.  Park,  351 

Van  Cortlandt,  Jacobus,  succeeds 
to  property,  352;  a  Tory.  353 

Van  Cortlandt,  Oloff  Stevenson, 
owner  of  Damen  farm,  68 

Van  Cortlandt,  Gen.  Philip,  his 
military  services,  390 

Van  Cortlandt,  Pierre,  Gov.  Tryon 
visits,  390;  his  civic  services  to 
the  State,  390 

Van  Cortlandt,  Stephanus,  patent 
for  manor,  388;  division  of  manor, 
388;  in  Rombout  grant,  414 

Van  Cortlandt  Manor,  manor- 
house,  388,  389;  historic  asso- 
ciations of  manor-house,  391; 
Whitencld  and  Asbury  preach 
at,  392;  CorUandtvillc  in,  397 


Van  Cortlandt  Mansion,  345,  349, 
351;  built  by  Fred.  Van  C.,  352; 
used  as  museum,  352;  known 
as  "Lower  Van  Cortlandt's," 
352;  distinguished  visitors  at, 
353 

Van  Cortlandt  Park,  terminus  of 
subway,  282,  349,  355;  dam  and 
mills  in,  352;  Indian  Field  in, 
353-  354;  formation  of,  353; 
parade  ground,  353;  Vault  Hill 
in.  354 

Van  der  Donck,  Adrien,  called  de 
Jonkheer,  buys  land  above  Har- 
lem R.,  345;  becomes  a  patroon, 
346 ;  349 ;  site  of  house,  352 ;  builds 
mills  on  Nepperhan  R.,  359; 
mentions  Kinderhook  and  Clav- 
erack,  454;  sheriff  of  Rensselaers- 
wyck,  460 

Van  Dyke,  country  place  in  Dutch 
days,  6 

Van  Hoesen,  Jan  Frans,  first 
settler  in  Claverack,  450;  his 
patent  includes  Hudson,  456 

Van  Kleeck,  Baltus,  house,  erection 
of,  424,  425;  legislature  meets  at, 
425;  news  of  Yorktown  received 
at,  426 

Van  Ness,  Judge  Wm.  P.,  builds 
Lindenwald,  450;  Burr's  second 
in  Hamilton  duel,  451 ;  entertains 
Irving,  451 

Van  Norden,  farm,  242 

Van  Oblinus,  Pieter,  farm  in  Har- 
lem, 310 

Van  Rensselaer,  Hendrick,  dispute 
with  Livingston,  441 

Van  Rensselaer,  Johannes,  forms 
Lower  Manor,  450;  receives  Cralo 
and  Claverack,  461 

Van  Rensselaer,  Kilian,  patroon, 
445;  acquires  land  in  Claverack, 
448;  becomes  patroon,  459;  his 
first  purchases,  460;  his  colony 
of  Rcnssclaerswyck,  460 

Van  Rensselaer  Manor  (or  Rens- 
selaerswyck),  see  Rensselaer 
Manor 

Van  Schaack  house,  453;  distin- 
guished visitors  at,  454 

Van  Slechtenhorst  buys  land  at 
Claverack,  448 

Van  Tassel,  Jacob,  366;  his  goose- 
gun,  368 


Index 


507 


Van  Tassel,  Katrina,  character  of 
Irving's,  368;  original  of,  452 

Van  Tienhoven,  Secretary  Cor- 
nells, farm,  11,  76,  77;  house 
of,  42 ;  buys  Keskeskeck  on  main- 
land, 343 

Van  Twiller,  Director,  builds  fort, 
12 

Van    Wart,    Rev.    Alexander,  at 

Andre  centenary,  375 
Van  Wart,  Isaac,  captor  of  Andre, 

362,  373 

Van  Wyck,  Abraham,  ball-alley,  77 
Vandenheuvel,  John  C,  farm  on 

Bloomingdale    road,    283,  294; 

his  town  house,  294 
Vanderbilt,  Wm.  H.,  buys  Hopper 

farm,  for  Horse  Exchange,  268 
Vandergrift,  country  place,  6;  fire 

buckets  at  house  of,  10 
Vanderlyn,  John,  erects  Rotunda, 

129 

Varian,  Isaac,  farm,  222,  242;  tree, 

247,  248;  cottage,  249 
Vassar  College,  view  of  Thompson 

Library,  426;  of  main  building, 

427;  formation  of,  428 
Vassar,  Matthew,  founds  college, 

428 

Vaughan,  General,  burns  Clermont 
mansions,  444 

Vault  Hill,  in  Van  C.  park,  354; 
decoy  camp-fires  on,  355 

Verdi,  Giuseppe,  statue  of,  292 

Verplanck,  Gulian,  grant  in  Dutch- 
ess Co.,  414;  Order  of  the  Cin- 
cinnati organized  in  his  house,  420 

Verplanck  Gulian  C,  editor,  74; 
*54>  155*  ancestral  home  of, 
420 

Verplanck,  Philip,  surveys  Van  C. 

Manor,  388 
Verplanck's  Point,    King's  Ferry 

at>  355>  394;  historic  importance 

of,  394;  French  army  arrives  at, 

394 

Verveelen,  Johannes,  Harlem  ferry- 
man, 338 
Vesey,  Rev.  William,  first  rector 

of  Trinity,  52 
Vineyard,  the,  pleasure  resort,  85 
Vlacte,  the,  9;  becomes  the  Com- 
mons, 84 
Volckcrtsen,  Dutch  trader,  2 
Von    Hoffman,    "Baron,"  adven- 
turer, 168 


Vulture,  the,  British  vessel  in 
Andre  affair,  378;  fires  at  Sparta 
graveyard,  385;  anchors  off 
Teller's  Point,  392 

W 

Wading  place,  in  Harlem,  328; 
description  of,  337,  338;  ferry 
removed  to,  338 ;  344 

Wallack,  James  W.,  manager,  208; 
last  appearance,  208,  210 

Wallack,  Lester,  208;  manager,  210; 
his  two  theatres,  210;  his  uptown 
theatre,  251 

Wappingers,  Indian  tribe,  422; 
friendly  to  Dutch,  423;  battle 
with  Iroquois,  433;  436 

Wappingers  Falls,  399,  422;  Massa- 
chusetts encroaches  on,  422 

War  of  1812,  declared,  121;  devas- 
tation by  British,  122;  fortifi- 
cations in  N.  Y.,  123,  124; 
injures  Hudson's  trade,  457; 
Greenbush  a  military  depdt  dur- 
ing, 461 

Waranoak  Indians,  412,  415 

Wards,  West,  38,  48;  division  of 
city  into,  133;  boundaries  of, 
133;  136 

Waring,  Colonel,  cleans  N.  Y. 
streets,  40 

Warner,  Anna,  present  owner  of 
Constitution  Island,  411;  her 
Bible  class  at  West  Point,  411 

Warner,  Henry,  owner  of  Consti- 
tution Island,  410 

Warner,  Susan,  author,  410;  her 
Bible  class  at  West  Point,  411 

Warren,  Minnie,  at  Barnum's,  211 

Warren,  Admiral  Sir  Peter,  secures 
lot  at  No.  1  Broadway,  43;  street 
named  after,  136;  farm,  222 

Washington,  Gen.  George,  calls 
council,  24;  to  occupy  Govern- 
ment House,  25;  hdqrs.  in 
Kennedy  house,  44;  cognizant 
of  Champe's  plot,  47;  lives  in 
McComb  house,  50;  anecdote  of, 
in  connection  with  Washington 
Irving,  50,  51;  attends  St.  Paul's, 
71;  centenary,  82,  115;  sends 
Nathan  Hale  on  mission,  120; 
statue  of,  in  Union  Sq.,  223; 
Arch,  244;  meets  Putnam,  264; 
at  Apthorpe  mansion,  288;  hdqrs. 


5o8 


Index 


Washington,  Gen. — Continued 
in  Morris  house,  305,  318;  directs 
battle  of  Harlem  Heights,  305, 
307;  meets  Mary  Philipse,  318; 
meets  Alexander  Hamilton,  319; 
visit  to  Morris  house,  319;  leaves 
garrison  in  Ft.  Washington,  326; 
at  Blue  Bell  tavern,  332;  at 
Van  Cortlandt  mansion,  353; 
receives  news  of  De  Grasse  and 
Lafayette,  354;  leaves  camp- 
fires  on  Vault  Hill,  355;  hdqrs.  at 
Dobbs  Ferry,  362,  363;  quota- 
tion of,  on  Andre  monument, 
374;  meets  French  officers  at 
Hartford,  377;  his  connection 
with  Andre\  378-380;  orders 
court-martial  on  Andre,  378; 
mentions  Croton  bridge  in  diary, 
387,  391;  at  Peekskill,  396;  at 
Cold  Spring,  411;  interview  with 
Harvey  Birch,  412;  sword  of, 
417;  prevents  insubordination 
in  army,  433 

Washington  Hall,  erection  of,  153; 
"Bread  and  Cheese"  Club  at, 
154;  acquired  by  Stewart,  160 

Washington  Heights,  280;  original 
grant  to  Jochim  Pieters,  309; 
what  the  subway  has  done  for, 
315 

Water,  Croton,  28,  37;  from  wells, 
34,  36;  Colles's  scheme  to  obtain, 
36;  quality  of,  36,  37;  Manhattan 
Co.  to  supply,  36,  37 

Watkins,  Samuel,  farm,  310 

Watts,  John,  at  No.  3  Broadway, 
45;  farm  of,  222 

Wayne,  Gen.  Anthony,  Life  of,  434 

Weather  Bureau,  74 

Webb,  Gen.  James  Watson,  resi- 
dent of  Mt.  Pleasant,  369;  born 
in  Claverack,  450 

Weber,  Philip,  farm,  266 

Webster,  Daniel,  50,  139,  funeral, 
82;  reception  at  City  Hall,  115 

Weckquaesgeek  Indians,  343;  vil- 
lage at  Dobbs  Ferry,  363;  war 
with,  383 

Weed,  Thurlow,  political  boss,  139 

Weepers'  Point,  see  Battery 

Wells,  public,  34;  Mr.  Rombout's, 
36;  abolished,  36 

Wells  &  Patterson,  shop,  137 

Wendell,  or  Elm,  Park,  formerly 
Apthorpe  estate,  286 


West  India  Company,  formation 
and  objects  of,  3 ;  correspondence 
with,  4;  grants  burgher  govern- 
ment, 10;  farm,  6,  59,  60,  139; 
establishes  patroonships,  459; 
sends  first  colony,  462 

West  Point,  chain  across  Hudson, 
397;  Andre1  on  his  way  to,  399; 
hdqrs.  of  commander  of,  408; 
completion  of  new  buildings,  409; 
at  outbreak  of  Spanish  war,  409; 
Bible  classes  at,  411;  Foundry, 
411 

Westchester,  English  settlement  at, 
8;  parish,  356;  British  post,  364 

Westchester  County,  formed,  343; 
literary  people  in,  368-370; 
extent  of  Van  Cortlandt  manor, 
388;  campaign,  416 

Weymouth,  printer,  74 

Wharton  house,  Harvey  Birch 
escapes  from,  419 

Wheeler,  A.  C.  (Nym  Crinkle), 
resident  of  Mt.  Pleasant,  369 

Wheelmen,  276,  278 

White  Plains,  Bloomingdale  Asy- 
lum removes  to,  302;  American 
retreat  to,  318;  372;  Dec.  of 
Independence  read  at,  416 

White  Way,  the  Great,  86,  256, 
257,  262 

Whitefield,    George,    preaches  at 

Van  Cortlandt  manor,  392 
Whitehall,  the,  sketch  of,  14 
Whitman,  Walt,  at  Pfaff's,  189 
Wicopee,  Indians,  412;  pass,  412 
Willard,  of  the  City  Hotel,  67,  68 
Willemstadt,    Dutch   rename  for 

Albany,  465 
Willett,  Edward,  opens  Province 
Arms,  62 

Willett,  Marinus,  77;  secretary  of 

meetings,  121,  122 
William  and  Mary,  declaration  of, 

as  sovereigns,  17 
Williams,  Cornelius,  farm,  222 
Williams,  David,  captor  of  Andrd, 

373 

Willis,  Nathaniel  P.,  154,  157 
Wilmot,    David,    guest    at  Van 

Schaack  house,  454 
Windmill  in  Heere  Slraal,  6 
Windust,  Edward,  opens  Athenamm 

Hotel,  166 
Winnakee  brook,  at  Poughkeepsie, 

424 


Index 


509 


Winter,  William,  at  Pfaff's,  189 
Wolcott,   Gov.   Oliver,   wife  and 

daughter  of,  make  bullets,  23 
Wood,  Fernando,  212;  at  Union  Sq. 
meeting,  227;  house  of,  on  Bloom- 
ingdale  Road,  274;  381 
Wood,  Mrs.  John,  manager,  214 
Woodlawn,  roadhouse,  295 
Woodworth,  Samuel,  155 
Woolworth  Building,  137,  138 
Worden,    R. -Admiral    John  L., 

Monitor- Merrimac  fight,  385 
Worth,  Gen.  Wm.  J.,  funeral,  82; 
body  lies  in  state,  118;  monu- 
ment, 244,  245,  246;  birthplace  at 
Hudson,  459 
Wurtz,  Lieut.,  Hessian  commander, 


Yates,   Robert,  opposes  adoption 
of  Federal  Constitution,  426 


Yonkers,  called  de  Jonkheer's  land, 
345;  origin  of  name,  346;  Ind'an 
Nepperhaem,  346;  township  of, 
349 ;  town  of  Kingsbridge  formed 
from,  350;  trolley  line  to,  350; 
recent  development  in,  355;  be- 
comes a  city,  359;  its  industries, 
359;  Hog  Hill,  360;  British  post, 
364;  homes  of  literary  people, 
368,  369;  anchorage  of  Henry 
Hudson,  388 

Z 

Zaazkill,  de,  Dutch  name  of  Nep- 

perhan  R.,  359 
Zantberg,  range  of  sand  hills  across 

Manhattan  I.,  178 
"Zealandia, "  bastion  at  land  gate, 

9;    discovery  of  foundations  of, 

10 


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Complete  Catalogue  sent 
on  application 


The  Hudson  River  from 
Ocean  to  Source  :  :  :  •  : 


Historical      Legendary  Picturesque 


By  Edgar  Mayhew  Bacon 

Author  of  "  Chronicles  of  Tarrytown,"  "  Narragansett 
Bay,"  "  Henry  Hudson,"  etc. 

Large  8°,  with  over  100  illustrations. 
Net,  $3-50.    By  express,  prepaid,  Sj-7S- 


NO  stream  in  America  is  so  rich  in  legends  and 
historic  associations  as  the  Hudson.  From 
ocean  to  source  every  mile  of  it  is  crowded 
with  reminders  of  the  early  explorers,  of  the  Indian  wars, 
of  the  struggle  of  the  colonies,  and  of  the  quaint,  peace- 
ful village  existence  along  its  banks  in  the  early  days  of 
the  Republic.  Before  the  explorers  came,  the  river 
figured  to  a  great  extent  in  the  legendary  history  of  the 
Indian  tribes  of  the  East.  Mr.  Bacon  is  well  equipped 
for  the  undertaking  of  a  book  of  this  sort,  and  the  story 
he  tells  is  of  national  interest. 

The  volume  is  illustrated  with  views  taken  especially 
for  this  work  and  with  many  rare  old  prints  now  first 
published  in  book  form. 


G.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS 

New  York  London 


Qmtvitnu  historic  ^oxons 


Historic  Towns  of  New  England 

Edited  by  Lyman  P.  Powell.    With  introduction  by 

George  P.  Morris.   With  161  illustrations.  Large 

8°,  gilt  top  net  $3  00 

Contents  :  Portland,  by  Samuel  T.  Pickard  ;  Rutland,  by 

Edwin  D.  Mead  ;  Salem,  by  George  D.  Latimer  ;  Boston,  by 

Thomas  Wentworth  Hipginson  ;  Cambridge,  by  Samuel  A.  Eliot ; 

Concord,  by  Frank  A.  Sanborn  ;  Plymouth,  by  Ellen  Watson  ; 

Cape  Cod  Towns,  by  Katharine   Lee   Bates  ;   Deerfield,  by 

George  Sheldon  ;  Newport,  by  Susan  Coolidge  ;  Providence,  by 

William   B.  Weeden  ;  Hartford,   by   Mary   K.  Talcott  ;  New 

Haven,  by  Frederick  Hull  Cogswell. 

"These  monographs  have  permanent  literary  and  historical  value.  They 
are  from  the  pens  of  authors  who  are  saturated  with  their  themes,  and  do  not 
write  to  order,  but  con  amore.  The  beautiful  letterpress  adds  greatly  to  the 
attractiveness  of  the  book." — The  Watchman. 

"  The  authors  of  the  Boston  papers  have  succeeded  in  presenting  a  wonderfully 
interesting  account  in  which  none  of  the  more  important  events  have  been 
omitted.  .  .  the  quaint  Cape  Cod  towns  that  have  clung  tenaciously  tr 
their  old-fashioned  ways  are  described  with  a  characteristic  vividness  by  Miss 
Ba'es.  .  .  .  The  other  papers  are  presented  in  a  delightfully  attractive 
manner  that  will  serve  to  make  more  deeply  cherished  the  memory  of  the  places 
described." — New  York  Times. 


Historic  Towns  of  the  Middle  States 

Edited  by  Lyman  P.  Powell.    With  introduction  by 
Dr.  Albert  Shaw.    Wit  1  135  illustrations.  Large 

8°,  gilt  top  net  %$  00 

Contents  :  Albany,  by  W.  W.  Battershall  ;  Saratoga,  by 
Ellen  H.  Walworth  ;  Schenectady,  by  Judson  S.  Landon ;  New- 
burgh,  by  Adelaide  Skeel  ;  Tarrytown,  by  H.  W.  Mabie  ;  Brook- 
lyn, by  Harrington  Putnam  ;  New  York,  by  J.  B.  Gilder  ;  Buffalo, 
by  Rowland  B.  Mahany  ;  Pittsburgh,  by  S.  H.  Church ;  Phila- 
delphia, by  Talcott  Williams  ;  Princeton,  by  W.  M.  Sloane ; 
Wilmington,  by  E.  N.  Vallandigham. 

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papers  on  important  landmarks  of  (he  Middle  States.  The  writers  enter  into  the 
history  of  their  respective  towns  with  much  elaborateness." — N.  V.  Tribunt. 


O.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS,  N«w  York  and  London 


^mtxiuxu  Historic  *Qovons 


Historic  Towns  of  the  Southern  States 

Edited  by  Lyman  P.  Powell.  With  introduction  by 
W.  P.  Trent.  With  about  175  illustrations.  Large 
8°,  gilt  top  net  $3  00 

Contents  :  Baltimore,  By  St.  George  L.  Sioussat ;  Annapolis 
and  Frederick,  by  Sara  Andrew  Shafer  ;  Washington,  by  F.  A. 
Vanderlip  ;  Richmond,  by  William  Wirt  Henry  ;  Williamsburg, 
by  Lyon  G.  Tyler  ;  Wilmington,  N.  C,  by  J.  B.  Cheshire  ; 
Charlestown,  by  Yates  Snowden  ;  Savannah,  by  Pleasant  A. 
Stoval ;  St.  Augustine,  by  G.  R.  Fairbanks  ;  Mobile,  by  Peter 
J.  Hamilton  ;  Montgomery,  by  George  Petrie  ;  New  Orleans, 
by  Grace  King  ;  Vicksburg,  by  H.  F.  Simrall  ;  Knoxville.  by 
Joshua  W.  Caldwell  ;  Nashville,  by  Gates  P.  Thruston  ;  Louis- 
ville, by  Lucien  V.  Rule  ;  Little  Rock,  by  George  B.  Rose. 

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perfect,  the  seventeen  writers  have  done  their  work  with  such  historical  accuracy 
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all  must  rejoice  that  Mr.  Powell  ever  attempted  to  make  the  historical  pilgrim- 
ages."— Journal  of  Education. 


Historic  Towns  of  the  Western  States 

Edited  by  Lyman  P.  Powell.  With  introduction  by 
R.  G.  Thwaites.  With  218  illustrations.  Large  8°, 
gilt  top.    (By  mail  $3.25)        .       .       .  net  $3  00 

Contents  :  Detroit,  by  Silas  Farmer  ;  Chicago,  by  Hon.  Lyman 
T.  Gage;  St.  Louis,  by  F.  M.  Crunden  ;  Monterey,  by  Harold 
Bake ;  San  Francisco,  by  Edwin  Markham ;  Portland,  by  Rev. 
Thomas  L.  Cole  ;  Madison,  by  Prof.  R.  G.  Thwaites  ;  Kansas 
City,  by  Charles  S.  Gleed  ;  Cleveland,  by  President  Charles  F. 
Thwing  ;  Cincinnati,  by  Hon.  M.  E.  Ailes  ;  Marietta,  by  Muriel 
C.  Dyar ;  Des  Moines,  by  Dr.  F.  I.  Herriot ;  Indianapolis,  by 
Hon.  Perry  S.  Heath  ;  Denver,  by  J.  C.  Dana  ;  Omaha,  by  Dr. 
Victor  Rosewater  ;  Los  Angeles,  by  Florence  E.  Winslow  ;  Salt 
Lake  City,  by  Prof.  James  E.  Talmage  ;  Minneapolis  and  St. 
Paul,  by  Hon.  Charles  B.  Elliott;  Santa  F€,  by  Dr.  F.  W. 
Hodge  ;  Vincennes,  by  W.  H.  Smith. 


Q.  P.  PUTNAM'S  SONS,  New  York  and  Londoo 


Literary  New  York 

Its  Landmarks  and  Associations 
By  Charles  Hemstreet 

8vo.     With  65  Illustrations,  $1.75  net 
(@y  mail,  $1.95) 

The  subject  of  Historic  New  York  is  a  fas- 
cinating one,  and  this  book,  written  by  a  well- 
known  authority,  and  embellished  with  many 
new  and  artistic  illustrations,  will  appeal  to  a 
wide  circle  of  readers.  Mr.  Hemstreet's  de- 
scriptions and  traditions  cluster  around  the  great 
literary  figures  who  have  been  associated  with 
old  New  York.  The  book  contains  much  that 
is  valuable,  and  in  its  charming  form  is  well 
suited  for  presentation,  and  also  deserves  a  place 
in  every  library. 

Chronicles  of  Tarrytown 
and  Sleepy  Hollow 

By  Edgar  Mayhew  Bacon 

Author  of  "  The  Hudson  River,"  "  Narragansett 
Bay,"  etc. 

1 6mo.     Revised  Edition,  gilt  top.     With  19  Illustra- 
tions and  a  Map,  $1 .25  net.     (Bp  mail  $1 .35) 

"  The  author  has  well  performed  an  agree- 
able task,  for  the  material  is  abundant  and  the 
charm  of  it  wonderfully  appealing  to  men  of 
imagination  and  historical  interest.  The  illus- 
trations bring  out  the  spirit  of  the  locality." 

The  Outlook. 

New  York       G.  P.  Putnam's  Sons  London 


